Out of the Dark
by JadedRen
Summary: Naruto leaves the village in the middle of the night, giving up on being anything other than what the villagers have classified him as. Eight years later Hinata is rescued by the most wanted assassin in every nation. This mysterious man is determined to keep her at arms length while ensuring her safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfiction so please be kind. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated so long as it is truly constructive. I hope you all enjoy the start of my story. **

**A big thanks to Roamer79 for lending me his ear, support, and everything else being my husband entails ;) (by the way check out his NaruHina story My Own Peace, I occassionally work as his editor).**

**I do not own Naruto or any characters from his world, but I do own my OC's. **

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Prologue..

"I'm leaving the village tonight."

The older shinobi paused in the review of his notes to look up at the sound of a voice he'd become so familiar with. Standing there in shadow, near the only window of the room he'd rented for the night, was his student. He had forgotten just how well versed at slipping in and out of places his student had become and was surprised that he hadn't noticed his entry to the room until the moment the young man had spoken. Setting his notes aside with a deep sigh he quickly assessed the young shinobi. "Hmm, just what do you mean by leaving the village? I'm certain you wouldn't sneak into my room in the middle of the night simply to inform me of your latest mission. So?" he waited for the young man to confirm what he already knew.

The shinobi standing in shadow moved forward so the light of the lone lamp could reveal his battle weary form, in his all too familiar orange jumpsuit. Naruto Uzumaki a typically jovial, if often immature young man now stood before Jiraiya with an expression on his face that could only be described as bitter and closed off.

"You know what I mean, Jiraiya-sama". Even the sound of his voice was now cold and detached, two words no one would ever imagine using to describe the young man before him. "However, if you truly need me to spell it out for you.." Jiraiya's eyes followed the sight of the blue headband that once rested proudly upon the boy's brow as it clattered onto the table before him.

"Why?" was the only response the Toad Sage felt necessary at the moment. He clasped the discarded forehead protector in his fist, studying the article before returning his gaze to the face of his student. This was a side of Naruto that Jiraiya was unfamiliar with and was equally unsure of how to handle him.

"I can't remain in this village, correction; I won't remain in this village. A person can only take being told they are something so many times before they start to believe it," Naruto said with a vicious snarl.

The Toad Sage chose to overlook the hate in Naruto's tone. "You know what consequences a choice such as this will bring," Jiraiya spoke in a low tone. He sat quietly for only a second before inquiring, "Are you sure you are making the right decision?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he replied, "It is the decision I will stand by."

Jiraiya seemed to wave the boy's statement away as inconsequential with his response, "Ah yes, your nindo. Though I believe you misunderstood me, I meant are you sure you're making the right decision in telling me this?" His eyes took on a hard glint as he stared down the thirteen year old before him.

Naruto raised his head in defiance, "I think so, yes. If I told Kakashi-sensei he would immediately report me to Tsunade-sama, while I believe you would not."

Jiraiya seemed to consider Naruto's statements deciding whether or not the boys trust was well placed before responding, "I will give you five days, a week at most, before I tell her about this conversation. You will become a missing-nin and you will be hunted, this you well know." With a sigh he continued, "If you need me send word through the toads."

Naruto ruefully shook his head, "If I need you, I'll be dead before I could send such a message."

Jiraiya's head jerked backwards as though struck as he continued to stare at the young man before him, wondering what could have occurred that would bring him to such a low point in his life. Before another word could be shared between the two Naruto stepped back into the shadows of the room disappearing out the window.

A saddened sigh seemed to fill the room as Jiraiya visibly deflated; he knew whatever had occurred was something Naruto would carry with him always. Especially if it was an event so terrible it could drive the jubilant blonde, who dreamed of becoming hokage, to the life of a missing-nin. He had seen a coldness within Naruto that had never been present before, a coldness that he hoped wouldn't consume the young man.

Jiraiya knew better than anyone that Naruto was far more capable as a shinobi than what everyone perceived, what he led everyone to perceive. Turning away from the window to stare at the long forehead protector he hoped that the worst wouldn't come to pass, that Naruto would not be captured as a missing-nin. Though he himself held an unwavering loyalty to Konohagakure he didn't wish to see the boy punished for seeking a life outside of the village.

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Chapter 1

_Eight Years Later_

_She'd been abducted, Again!_

Hinata Hyuga awoke knowing she was no longer lying in the comfortable bed of the high-priced room her father had arranged for her at the Inn within Sunagakure. Her first clue was the distinct lack of a bed beneath her, the second and third was the eclipsing darkness and smell of earth that surrounded her.

She knew her kunoichi skills were rusty but how was it possible for her to have been abducted out of bed so easily? Silently activating her Byakugan she searched the area, finding herself in what appeared to be a dome room, with no door or windows, alone. Attempting to sit up she discovered how it was possible for her to be abducted out of bed, her body felt weighed down and her head ached with the remnants of a drug. _Probably a drugged senbon, _she thought as she was finally able to lift her body into an upright position. _Bastards! How many times will I awaken to discover I've been abducted in my life? _She was unsure if she should be relieved to discover she was still dressed in the nightgown she'd donned before bed. It didn't exactly provide a cover of modesty, it's not like she could've planned to wear something more suitable for the role of kidnap victim.

Hinata hated this aspect of life as a Hyuga; she hated even more the fact that eight years ago she had allowed her father to pressure her into leaving the life of a kunoichi. If she hadn't perhaps she would have been more capable of avoiding a situation like this. But that was an issue for another day, not today when she needed to focus instead of being distracted by what-ifs. _I may not have prevented this from happening but I will save myself._

Her frustration over the situation mounted as she dragged herself over to the nearest wall to rest while waiting for the last of the drug to wear off. The wall was made of earth and as she focused harder on what her eyes could discern she realized she was within a network of cave systems. More specifically inside one of the caves within the system and as far as her gifted eyes could tell there was no way out. _How did they get me in here?_ Focusing beyond her cave, she was able to locate two men a hundred and fifty feet away approaching at a sedate pace. Judging by the direction they were traveling she knew they would approach the opposite side of the cave from where she sat, if they didn't pass her by completely.

_Please, let them pass me by_ she thought as her body protested her struggles to stand. She nearly fell over as she was hit with a wave of dizziness, throwing one arm out to catch herself on the wall Hinata paused to let the feeling fade before attempting to walk. Watching the two approaching figures closely to calculate how much time she'd have, Hinata began walking towards the opposite side of the cave. It was neither an easy nor quick process and she found herself giving thanks that the abductors appeared to be in no rush.

Reaching the opposite side of the cave she quickly began to slide her fingers over the wall hoping to find something her eyes could not see, a way out. She'd only had enough time to realize she was truly sealed in before she heard a loud rumbling. Bits of rock began to fall around her as a section of the wall four feet away began to slowly shift to the side. _Of course, an Earth style user_ she thought to herself as she deactivated her Byakugan, tuned into the men's conversation, and waited for the perfect time to strike.

"You know they only want her eyes and there are a lot of things we could do to her that won't involve her eyes one bit," said one of the men lecherously as the section of wall continued to shift. "I mean did you see that body, I can't wait to have a little fun with that."

Hinata felt her rage increase at the thought of what these men were after, not only her eyes, but the use of her body as well. She would not be at the mercy of these men; she'd rather die before letting one of them touch her.

"Gorou, I don't think we should mess with her yet. At least not until we are in a more secure location, the report from Jun said Ronin is tracking us."

Hinata could see light entering the cave from a flashlight one of them was carrying she pressed as close to the wall as possible while waiting for them both to enter the opening.

"Oi, Daichi you worry too much. Ronin tracking us, hah, the guy doesn't exist," the one going by Gorou proclaimed as he entered the cave and began to sweep the flashlight around the open space. He was a tall and pudgy man whose appearance was enough to nearly make Hinata gag, "Hey, where the hell is she?"

The other man quickly approached his side this one was short and bedraggled looking the perfect opposite to Gorou. "There's no way she could've gotten out! The dossier said she was a weak former kunoichi with no earth affinity."

Hinata finally made her move, "Palm heel strike!" She struck Gorou between his shoulder blades before bringing her leg up to kick him into his partner as hard as possible. Without checking to see the effects of her actions she turned to run out of the cave. Her byakugan had provided the layout of the network of caves and she was certain she could find her way out. That was until she was tripped by one of the men a trained kunoichi, formerly, she easily shifted into a roll that allowed her to continue her forward momentum. Her luck ran out as she heard, "Suiton: Suiben," a whip made out of water circled her neck tightly lifting her off of her feet only to slam hard onto her back. The whip continued to tighten as she struggled not only to remove the coil around her neck but to keep from being dragged back to the men.

Her vision began to blur as she desperately kicked out unable to breath. As the men approached while maintaining the tautness of the whip on her neck she viciously attempted to kick any body part not belonging to her that she could reach. Her vision began to dim and her struggles began to slow, as Daichi approached to deliver a bone shattering blow to the left side of her face. She was fading quickly as she felt the cave shudder and heard a blast.

Jerking away from the woman slightly both men seemed surprised and yet terrified at the possibilities of what could be occurring.

Daichi whispered one word in fear, "Ronin?" Suddenly the water whip loosened around her neck and she gasped desperately for air. Gorou grabbed a fistful of her hair dragging her back into the cave before resealing her in with a, "Doton: Doryūheki".

She was so weakened all she could do was lay there and cough as she desperately attempted to get her throat to work properly. The lack of oxygen had done nothing for her recovering, previously drugged body she hadn't felt so battered in years. _I really need to start training again this is pathetic,_ she thought to herself, _I can't even escape from those two._

Rocks began to rain down on and around her as the earth of the cave continued to sporadically rumble and quake. She knew without activating her byakugan that her abductors were under attack. _Unless someone out there is a Hyuga they'll never know I'm here, not much of a rescue but at least I won't die having suffered the advances of those two_, she shuddered thinking of what could have happened. The cave began to tremble more violently as she began to fear it would collapse on her and become her tomb. _Please, let it be quick _she prayed as she struggled to once again stand.

The wall of the cave began to shift again and Hinata attempted to slip into her old fighting stance prepared for the worst. Gorou rushed in and she noted he was trembling in terror, he was clearly prepared for any attack on her part as he performed a seal saying, "Doton: Rock Bullet Jutsu". A large rock slammed into Hinata throwing her into the wall behind her as her recently regained breath was forced from her lungs. Collapsing to her hands and knees she found herself once again struggling for air as Gorou approached her. He gripped a handful of her hair again attempting to drag her from the room, "Get up you bitch," he growled, "Get up! He's after you, so you'll be my ticket out of here." Before he could move her another foot a shadow fell over them. Gorou released her hair to spin abruptly towards the entrance of the cavern. Hinata finally drew in a deep breath as she looked from her position on the floor to see the most terrifying sight ever.

Standing in the entrance to the cave was Ronin, the most wanted man in all of the allied nations. Though she'd never laid eyes on this man she knew him by his renowned appearance. The trademark red pants and shirt that was such a deep red it was said the man could be covered in blood and no one would ever know. The dark, blacker than night, coat that he wore with the black mask covering his face from his neck to just below the coldest set of blue eyes she had ever seen. There was no way it could be anyone else and clearly Gorou knew it too as he tried to bolster some bravado in the face of the well-known and most skilled killer ever to be born.

Gorou performed a seal, "Doton: Doryūsō", was all Hinata heard before a sharp spear of earth rose up from the ground to impale itself through her left shoulder. She screamed out in pain as she felt the spear enter her shoulder only to exit the other side. She tried to contain her sounds of pain and focus on breaking the spear to free herself as Gorou had successfully pinned her in place.

Ronin's eyes had never left Gorou's face; he hadn't even reacted to the woman being impaled. It was as though she didn't even exist; his focus was solely on her abductor. Gorou attempted to bluff his way out of the situation, "I'm not afraid of you!" he spat at the lone man who hadn't moved a single step into the cavern. Ronin's hands hung loosely at his sides covered in fingerless black gloves, he seemed to be almost made of stone as there was no visible movement on his part.

Gorou lifted his hands to perform another seal as Hinata suddenly felt a rush of air at the same time something warm and wet splattered her right side. Glancing up with tears in her eyes Hinata saw Ronin standing to the side of Gorou whose neck now had a kunai through it. The look in Ronin's eyes hadn't changed from the cold and almost boring expression she'd seen when he first appeared at the entrance of the cave. Giving a twist to the kunai Ronin jerked it out of Gorou's neck as the dead man fell over Hinata's legs. She struggled to remove the weight and free herself from the earth spear without taking her eyes off of the intimidating figure standing over her.

He knelt down assessing her in a calculating manner before reaching out with one hand and easily crumbling the spear that had so successfully trapped her. She attempted to scramble away from him fearing he was there to kill her as Gorou had exclaimed that someone was here for her. Ronin merely stood pulling her uninjured arm over his shoulder before scooping her struggling form into his arms then striding out of the cavern. He turned right heading down an open tunnel, Hinata ceased struggling and began to wonder if this notorious killer could possibly be rescuing her. The cave began to quake violently as even more rocks and dirt began to fall than during the attack.

They turned a corner to find another man dressed all in black, "We need to hurry; you killed the Earth style user didn't you? Of course you did. The network of caves is collapsing, it was his jutsu that created them and now that he's dead. Well, I'm sure you can guess what's beginning to happen. Hey, nice piece of ass you've scooped up."

Hinata was shocked that this man was speaking so casually to the known killer as the cave literally collapsed around them with large chunks of earth falling mere feet away from them.

Ronin, without jostling Hinata at all, reached out to hit the other man upside his head and point towards the direction of the exit. The other man merely nodded before running towards the exit. Ronin placed his arm under her again before pulling her in tightly and beginning to follow his partner. Despite the fact that he was running with portions of Earth practically landing on them Hinata was never once jostled, he was careful to keep her secure and protected in his arms. Even when a large boulder forced him to stumble hard into the wall he turned to ensure his body took the brunt of the impact. Despite the danger around her, she found herself confused over the situation she seemed to be in the middle of.

Rushing out of the caverns as it finally collapsed in on itself, Hinata had to squeeze her eyes shut tightly as they adjusted to the bright light of the afternoon sun. Ronin moved to set her down near a tree as his partner approached. Hinata eyed both of the men warily not trusting they wouldn't kill her or worse rape her.

Ronin reached out to tear the material of her nightgown away from her wounded shoulder as Hinata swung her right palm forward intending to land a hit on the tenketsu points in his forearm while simultaneously deflecting a potential hit. Before she could make contact he caught her wrist holding it away from him. "Relax," he growled in a low voice, "I'm checking the wound, unless you want it to continue bleeding," he questioned her.

Hinata froze it was too much for her to comprehend that perhaps he truly did mean to provide aid to her.

"Hey lady, if you aren't dead already then he's not going to kill you. Just settle down and let us do what we can for that shoulder," Ronin's partner caught her attention from two feet behind him. Attempting to watch the both of them she gave a subtle nod that she would "settle down" as had been suggested. Ronin quickly released her wrist and continued in his original attempt to tear the material away from her should and assess the wound. She gasped in pain as he probed the wound before tearing material from the bottom of her gown to wrap around her shoulder.

"She'll live," was all the infamous assassin said before turning away from her.


	2. Chapter 2

First I'd like to say thank you for the reviews, favs and follows! I honestly didn't expect even that reaction from everyone, so thank you, again for making me feel accepted as new fanfic author.

Now chapter 1 really dove into the story with little explanation so this chapter slows things down to do some character development and a little foreshadowing, I hope everyone will still find it enjoyable. On a side note digital cookies to anyone who can guess or knows the connection between Ronin's partner's name and the anime.

I do not own Naruto or anyone in his world, but I fully claim my OC's. Now on with the show.

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Chapter 2

Watching the masked man move away from her, Hinata was still unable to relax. She was just rescued by Ronin that thought alone astounded her. The rumors surrounding his name stated that no one who went against him survived. As far as she knew he also never saved anyone before. _So why did he save me?_ She shifted to place her body as close to the tree as possible, tucking one foot under her while drawing the knee of the opposite leg close to her torso. She did this in case the need arose to stand quickly, not that she truly felt capable of moving quickly in her current state.

Details that she'd overlooked before stood out starkly. Of course those details had been unimportant when her main focus was escape and survival. Adrenaline was a funny thing like that; it could increase one's strength and speed in times of danger but had the nasty habit of blocking out necessary details. As the adrenaline rush faded the fact that nearly every part of her body ached and the dizziness she awoke with had only gotten worse was very clear. _Will there ever come a time today when I am not dizzy?_ Shifting her eyes back to her shoulder to note that the material of her gown was quickly becoming soaked in blood she knew the answer to her question.

Glancing down she saw that the pale cream colored gown she wore, which hadn't provided much cover before, was definitely failing to do so now. It had fallen to mid-thigh but now that the material was torn to create a make-shift bandage it barely covered her butt. Add the fact that the gown was sheer and, thanks to the hole in her left shoulder, covered in blood the material now clung damply to her torso as well.

Hinata shuddered at the source of the blood on her right side, a regrettable fact. She did not regret that Gorou was dead or even the method of which that death had occurred. Instead she regretted the fact that until she was able to change she was forced to suffer the blood of that vile man on her body. She mentally shrugged thoughts of modesty, and Gorou's blood, away as they were unimportant in comparison to the potential threat standing mere feet away.

Keeping her head tilted down Hinata raised her eyes in an attempt to watch both men covertly, she studied them noting that Ronin was tall, possibly six foot. He would seem to tower over her diminutive height of five foot three inches. This would give him greater reach in a fight between the two, meaning she would have to be careful to stay out of that range or move quickly enough to land her blows before retreating a safe distance. He was clearly well-muscled, a fact she'd become aware of as he'd carried her. Of course, she'd immediately noted his blue eyes resting above his mask it was something no one could miss for those eyes were cold and detached promising death to any who dared to look upon them.

What she hadn't noted before was that the man had blonde hair reaching just past the collar of his jacket, though sections of it stood up at odd angles as though trying to escape his head any way possible. She wondered if this assassin wore a mask because his face was hideous, thus giving her the answer as to why his hair would wish to escape his head. If that was the case then she felt it would be a shame to waste a body like his on a hideous face. _Who cares what his face looks like it certainly won't matter when he decides to kill me. He could be bucktoothed or covered in warts and it wouldn't matter._ She tried to stem her curiosity over the appearance of a man she should hate. She was unable to garner any other useful information as the mask and heavy coat he wore revealed little.

She despised hired assassins, men with no moral code, whose ethics swayed depending upon the amount of money they were paid. Yet she couldn't dredge much hate for the man who had saved her life. She had to admit from what she could discern he had a body to die for, literally. But who was he; that was the one hundred million ryo question. Oh yes, the man before her had accumulated a hefty bounty in the bingo book. Even the slightest information regarding his identity could gain someone a small fortune. She could understand why he would be determined to keep his identity secret, though she couldn't help but find herself curious about him.

Shifting her gaze to his partner she was able to garner necessary details about the more talkative man as he appeared unconcerned with keeping his identity secret. Hinata noted that he was several inches shorter than Ronin putting him around five foot six, or seven, inches. She wouldn't have to worry too much about his reach in a fight as the difference in height between them wasn't that great. He also possessed a smaller, though muscular, frame than his legendary partner. In fact he seemed to be almost an opposite of Ronin with brown hair that barely reached his collar, though notably more subdued than his partner's, and dark brown eyes. He wore all black and unlike his partner no jacket.

Hinata continued to watch them as she began to feel the effects of blood loss rushing over her. She needed to stay alert but was having difficulty.

The two men stood five feet away from her and yet she couldn't tell what they were saying or even pick up the sound of their voices. Ronin stood like a statue with his left side towards her, perhaps to keep her in his peripheral at all times. _He won't give his back to a potential threat, even in my condition_, she noted. His arms hung loosely at his sides though occasionally she noticed his fingers would flex as though preparing to form a fist. His partner seemed to be doing all of the talking, though it was hard to tell with the mask he wore. _They're probably debating on how to kill me, _she drew a deep breath preparing for any possibility_._

* * *

Ronin couldn't believe his poor luck, he knew going into this job that the kidnap victim was a Hyuga but did it have to be her.

Upon seeing Hinata inside that cave his chest had ached with memories of the past best forgotten. Too many years had passed and he was a different man now. He'd become so cold inside that even the emotion he felt upon seeing her again was fleeting before shifting into his usual state of calm detachment. Despite that detachment it had been difficult not to react when Gorou had used his earth spear jutsu to pin her to the floor. After years of hearing various gasps and screams of pain or mercy in his profession, he had considered himself immune to such things. Yet he was unable to stand her cry of pain as the spear had struck her shoulder.

Assessing her again as Takeshi spoke in a babbling rant, a common occurrence, he felt anger attempt to stir inside him at the site of her bruised and beaten body. She had always been gentle and soft-spoken, never one to be cruel to anyone especially him and the thought of her being put through so much abuse bothered him. Hinata didn't deserve to be treated in such a way. She should have been secure within the arms of her family, protected by the powerful Hyuga clan and their all-seeing eyes. He couldn't help but be curious as to how two idiots like Gorou and Daichi had managed to kidnap her from her room in the middle of the night.

"Yo, you listening to me?" Takeshi snapped his fingers near Ronin's face. A gesture Hinata had clearly seen causing her to tense, she clearly expected a violent reaction from him. Turning to blankly stare Takeshi down, he merely quirked an eyebrow as a signal that spoke volumes to the younger man, _Do you really think I am capable of being that oblivious? Do not do that again._ Takeshi merely shrugged unconcerned over the non-verbal communication he'd clearly understood.

"Look I know we never back out of a job but I say we've done our good deed she's alive with her eyes still intact, let's just leave her here," Takeshi spoke in a low voice once again.

Despite wearing a mask and maintaining a silent stoicism, most of the time, Takeshi was still capable of picking up on every nuance of his moods and personality. It was a testament to their years together and the friendship they'd developed. "I see the way you're looking at her and this can only lead to trouble."

Ronin usually tried to speak as little as possible during a job; he honestly felt no need to converse with people he planned to kill or might kill in the future. But for obvious reasons he chose to make an exception on this one.

"Get over there", was all he said while pointing in the direction of the Hyuga heiress. As always his voice was low, and to his ears rough, after all it had changed in more ways than one over the years. Ronin thought of the scar he bore across his neck it was a consequence of a poor decision regarding a woman; one would think he'd have learned his lesson by now. Viciously forcing those thoughts to the back of his mind and slamming a door on them he watched in mild humor as Takeshi gave an over-exaggerated sigh while turning to do as we was told.

Before he could get within three feet of the gentle looking creature she sprung to her feet poised to strike. Not wanting Takeshi to hurt Hinata out of instinct born from his training, Ronin rushed between them and glared down at her. His intervention appeared unnecessary however as he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head before she fainted. Ronin was quick to catch her up into his arms before she could fall to the ground. Clearly the blood loss and her captor's drugs had taken a toll. Laying her down gently he removed his coat to drape it over her.

"Careful now, one might confuse you for a gentleman", Takeshi's smart mouth interjected.

"Shut up, before I decide I'm tired of your constant nagging, I swear you're worse than a woman", Ronin snapped back at him. With Hinata unconscious he felt he could speak freely with Takeshi.

"Yeah, yeah," was Takeshi's only response. He moved forward quickly to grip the neck of Hinata's gown only to have Ronin catch both hands by the wrist. Unfazed he glanced up, "Uh what are you doing?"

Ronin knew that in order to properly dress the one inch in diameter hole going through the Hyuga's shoulder her upper body would need to be stripped. After watching the amount of fear she'd displayed when Takeshi approached he actually felt some semblance of shame for not trying to alleviate that fear. "Give me the kit, I'll do it."

"Hoping for a quick peak boss? I know it's been a while since yo-", Takeshi's next words were cut off as Ronin swatted him upside the head again, hard. Without commenting or reacting Takeshi turned to draw the kit of medical supplies out of the pouch he carried at his lower back. "You knew her didn't you? From before you left?"

Ronin snatched the kit out of his hands to begin gathering the necessary ointments and bandages. Without look up he said, "Go scout the area." He hadn't wanted to go back down that road even with Takeshi.

Takeshi's face hardened from jokester to the serious assassin, "Sometimes I don't know why I'm your friend, Naruto," with that he rushed off to do as he'd been told.

Left alone with the unconscious Hinata, he released a sigh hoping that it would help calm him. Allowing someone to know his true identity was a mistake, a liability, but he couldn't regret the years he'd known Takeshi. His partner knew the potential risk of being captured and tortured for information on him, but he didn't care.

Naruto moved his jacket to just below her breasts, the material of her gown clung to her body providing an enticing sight to his eyes. He struggled to remain detached knowing he'd have to remove the garment to treat her shoulder. Moving quickly he tore the material away to reveal her breasts. _Oh, Kami.._ They were perfect, creamy white and tipped with the palest pink nipples. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his body hardening at the sight, taking another deep breath he opened his eyes focusing on the bleeding hole in her shoulder.

He cleaned as much of the blood from around the wound as possible before applying a topical ointment. Unfortunately he had to endure the feeling of those perfect breasts pressing into his forearm as he sat her up to apply the same treatment to the other side of the wound, on her back. His breathing was ragged by the time he began carefully applying pads of gauze to both sides of the wound and wrapped the bandage around her shoulder then across her chest to keep the gauze in place. Once the bandage was complete he struggled to move his jacket to slip her arms into it without revealing more of her body. The lower half of her gown was still wrapped around her hips and that was where he intended to leave it, he did not need the additional thoughts such an image would bring him.

Finally getting her body covered, he laid her back down gently before beginning to pace and wait for Takeshi's return. Wandering over to the tree Hinata had previously rested against he slipped his mask off feeling that if he didn't he would surely suffocate. Running one hand across his face and over the back of his neck he attempted to settle back into his typical calm, detached demeanor.

The mask was back in place by the time Takeshi returned as he leaned against the tree in a mock stance of relaxation with his arms and feet crossed. "Well," he questioned.

"There's no one around, but we should get moving. So let's wake her ass up."

Naruto held out a hand to halt Takeshi, "No, let her rest I'll carry her to a safer location."

"You're attracted to her." It was more a statement than a question.

"I'm not blind or dead, yet," he said drily. "Can you honestly tell me you aren't attracted to her?"

"No, I sure can't. I told you she's a hot piece of ass, one I wouldn't mind having under, over or in front of me for a few hours" Takeshi replied crossing his arms over his chest as Naruto growled at him. He pinned Naruto with a glare, "But I know you, you're never this.. gentle or considerate." He said those adjectives as though they were offensive to him in every way.

"She's obviously beautiful, its lust and nothing more. Trust me it'll pass." He moved from the tree to pick up Hinata, careful to ensure his jacket continued to cover her.

"You sure it will," Takeshi questioned glancing pointedly between Naruto's face and the girl lying unconscious in his arms.

"We're done here," He replied turning to leap into the trees so they could get out of the area and to a safer location.

Holding her in his arms again was distracting, he didn't remember her being so small but then he hadn't been much taller than her before he'd left the village. He felt as though he could easily crush her in his arms now if he wasn't careful.

Naruto began to allow memories of his time in the village to surface, something usually avoided. Back then he'd always considered her pretty and full of grace; her gentle nature had always stood out the most to him as it made him feel the need to protect her from the harsher realities of their world. But now glancing down to make sure she was still unconscious he had to admit that she now possessed the beauty that had only been hinted out in her younger appearance. She'd let her hair dark indigo hair grow out and it'd only enhanced the features of her delicate face.

After traveling for several hours Naruto and Takeshi came to a stop in a small clearing that was surrounded by such dense trees they knew it'd be hard to spot them once the sun went down. "This should be a good enough spot for now. I'll scout the area just in case. Set up camp and keep your distance from her, remember she's a gentle fist user so don't drop your guard." Naruto told Takeshi as she settled her down and flashed away.

Takeshi shook his head, _he's acting_ _like he just met me or something. He knows I never drop my guard,_ with a worried glance in the direction his friend had disappeared he thought, _I have a bad feeling about this job. _

* * *

For the second time, in what she hoped was still the same day, Hinata awoke to unfamiliar surroundings. _Fantastic, this is becoming a habit_. Except this time didn't seem as foreboding this time she awoke outside with daylight upon her, laying on a bed roll reminiscent of her days as a genin of her village. She was lying on her right side and could feel a weight pressing down on her. Unsure of what the weight was or the situation she'd open her eyes to find, Hinata attempted to maintain a steady breathing pattern.

Recalling everything that had happened, especially Ronin, she felt her heart jolt in fear then seemingly lodge in her throat. She needed to figure out what was going on, but before she could do anything a voice rang out.

"You're safe. So there's no need to pretend to sleep or plot some ill-conceived escape." She thought that voice belonged to Ronin's partner. Choosing to face the situation head on she took a deep breath and opened her eyes sitting up. She quickly discovered that she was wearing a long black coat, Ronin's coat, and judging from the weight it was lined with armor that would help thwart all but the very sharpest of blades. Suits of armor fell out of fashion because the added protection wasn't worth the loss in speed and agility. Flak vests like those worn by shinobi were more preferable because they allow for maneuverability. So for this man to wear a full armored coat, even a lightweight armor, he must possess the strength necessary to ensure it didn't hinder his mobility.

Turning to look in the direction the voice had come from while gripping the edges of the coat together she found Ronin's partner practically lounging against a tree. A quick glance around revealed Ronin himself was nowhere in sight.

"How's your shoulder?" bringing her attention back to the man before her, his dark brown eyes gave the impression he actually cared there was a warmth in them absent from Ronin's eyes. He continued before she could respond, "Ronin took care of it while you were out."

Takeshi had to admit he was curious to see what her reaction would be. He could easily guess how her shoulder was feeling, that's not what he was curious about. _I bet it hurts like hell, but what do you think of Ronin stripping you down? _Takeshi wasn't a bad guy but he did get amusement out of the discomfort and embarrassment of others.

Hinata chose to ignore what he'd said, _I will not think about that man, with that deadly aura, seeing me naked. Nope won't do it_. She feared if she did then her face would reveal her thoughts or worse she'd faint again. _I think I've done that enough for one day._ "Where are we?" she felt as though she'd spoken around glass but she needed answers. She knew they were no longer outside the network of caves they'd narrowly escaped, the trees were denser here and there was no rubble.

The man shrugged replying, "The where isn't important," he said softly. "Just know that you're safe for the moment and will be back in Suna soon now that you're finally awake Hyuga-san."

"Why did you save me?" that question was plaguing her.

"Allow me to catch you up on a few things, first you've been missing for thirty six hours," he paused to let that fact wash over her.

"I thought I'd only been gone twelve maybe fourteen.." she said in a confused whisper.

"Yeah those two dumb shits decided to keep you drugged to make traveling easier, clearly they misjudged the dosage judging by your physical state," he winced as took in her appearance. "It didn't do them much good though they were slow as hell. We caught up to you easily."

Interrupting him she asked, "Why would two assassins be sent on a rescue mission?"

He cleared his throat before continuing, "Actually, it wasn't a rescue mission it was a recovery mission. Your absence was quickly discovered and we were hired by the Hyuga clan to recover you dead or alive, by any means necessary," he stated point blank.

Hinata knew the distinct difference between a rescue and recovery mission. These men honestly hadn't cared if they'd arrived too late to save her life, only that they had her body to return for their payday. She found herself disgusted anew by assassins. She was even more disturbed to learn that her own clan had only cared that she be returned not that she be alive and well. _I'm not so sure I want to go back to Suna and what's waiting there for me_, a sad sigh was heard before she returned her attention to the strange man.

"I know the other one is Ronin, so who are you?"

He brought his hand to his chest in mock hurt, "You haven't heard of me? Wow, everyone knows the big, bad, and evil but no one ever remembers poor Takeshi." He dropped his hand replying drily, "That hurts, truly," the corners of his lips quirked at his own sarcasm. Standing up he retrieved a dark bundle of cloth before tossing it to Hinata. "Here, I thought you might feel more comfortable if you weren't traipsing around in just my partner's jacket."

The bundle landed in Hinata's lap and she begrudgingly mumbled a, "Thank you."

"Yeah I don't do so well with gratitude and it's clear you don't like being beholden to someone like me. So walk through that stand of trees fourteen yards and you'll find a stream. You can clean up a bit and change." He pointed in the direction to her right. "And know that escape would be a futile attempt which would only cause you more pain.

Pursing her lips she stood shakily grabbing the bundle of clothes in her right hand, "Where's Ronin?"

Takeshi revealed a genuine smile that made him appear even less possible of being an assassin, "Worried you'll be giving him a peep show? Relax Hyuga-san you aren't his type."

Taking another deep breath she attempted to quell her embarrassment and anger. _Acting out emotionally is improper and hinders logical reasoning, one must always be in control,_ she mentally repeated the mantra her father had drilled into her. Having regained a precarious hold on her emotions she left to clean up and get dressed.

Finding the stream easily enough thanks to Takeshi's instructions and her Byakugan Hinata placed the bundle of clothes on top of a boulder and made sure no one was around. Deactivating her Kekkei Genkai she lowered the borrowed coat off her shoulders pausing to check the bandage. _I must admit for an assassin he did a good job bandaging that. _Continuing to look over her body she noticed that her gown_, I should just call this a rag after today, _was barely hanging onto her hips. Stepping quickly out of the rag formerly known as her nightgown she continued lowering the jacket only to feel a presence behind her.

Turning she dropped into a crouch and found the previously missing Ronin staring heatedly at her. She moved quickly to close his coat around her. When she'd looked into his eyes before she could've sworn they were incapable of displaying emotion, but now the way he was looking at her...

_Oh, there I go_, she mentally cringed, _what is wrong with me? I should not be blushing because some assassin is eyeballing me like I'm his favorite snack_. Hinata felt warmth spread through her stomach while staring into Ronin's eyes. She had to admit without his coat on she could see more of his lean build. The mask only added a mysterious quality that was somehow captivating. _Remember he's probably buck-toothed and wart-faced; oh but what a waste that would be. _Attempting to regain her composure Hinata stood from her crouch glaring at Ronin.

He raised his hands in a supplicating fashion taking two steps away from her. "I was told you were ready to travel again." He said this as though it was the only apology he would offer for basically seeing her naked.

"Clearly I am not." she paused before inquiring, "may I continue?" Grimacing she immediately realized how that sentence could be misconstrued as an invitation to let him watch her change instead of the subtle hint for him to leave she'd intended it to be.

Briefly closing his eyes with a nearly imperceptible shake of his head, Ronin turned and left in the direction of the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the latest installment, each chapter has become increasingly longer I don't know if that will become the norm but I hope you all enjoy it while it lasts :).**

**Thank you to everyone for your reviews, follows and favs!**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

Chapter 3

Hinata felt herself blushing furiously over her slip of the tongue. Watching Ronin walk away she attempted to make the blood in her face return to the rest of her body. _This cannot be good for me after losing so much blood. I can't believe I said that, how humiliating! Ugh, why am I blushing? I haven't blushed in years._ She felt saddened as she thought of the last time she'd blushed like this. _Naruto, where have you gone?_

Staring at where Ronin had disappeared into the trees she thought of his blue eyes and blonde hair. They were similar to Naruto's, but Ronin's eyes were far too cold. In the past every blue-eyed blonde haired boy had made her heart ache with worry over where her love had gone. If she'd met Ronin years ago she might have believed, even hoped, that he was really Naruto. But she knew better there was no way her Naruto-kun could become the cold, ruthless killer known throughout the elemental nations as Ronin.

Activating her Byakugan again she ensured that he had really left. _Wait I'd only just checked the area, how did he get here so fast without me seeing his approach?_ _His speed must be part of the reason he's managed to survive this long and gain the reputation he has. _

Deciding to leave the coat on this time until the last possible minute Hinata turned her back towards the direction of the men. Slipping a pair of pants on that she had to roll several times at the waist so they wouldn't slip off of her, she thought _Yeah that's just what I need, to give both of them a peep show this time. _Luckily the pants stopped at her ankles clearly these were Takeshi's pulled her arms out of the sleeves of the coat hunching slightly so it would hang on her her arms through the sleeves of the shirt she hunched further to carefully and painfully fit her head through the neck hole, standing upright she let the jacket slip off while tugging the shirt down.

She pushed her hair out of her face to discover a nasty bruise from the hit Daichi had delivered. Wincing she questioned how she could be attractive to anyone in her bruised and bedraggled state. _I must still be woozy from everything. There's no way that man, or any man, could look at me with desire in his eyes._ Sighing dejectedly she thought back to the one she would've loved to have looked at her in such a way and how it seemed as though he'd never truly seen her.

_Time to let these thoughts go and focus on the now. Focus on getting back to Suna unharmed, well more than I already am. _

Twenty Minutes Earlier

_I'm being tortured!_

Naruto had mistakenly believed that he'd endured real torture before, but this was so much worse. Thoughts of Hinata's perfect breasts had tormented Naruto as he'd carried her in his arms away from the collapsed caves. Her skin had been so soft and questions of how they would taste if he'd leaned down, as he'd been desperately tempted, to kiss those small pink nipples plagued him. His body was so hard that leaping through the trees had never been so difficult for him. He'd been so distracted a tree branch had nearly taken his head. This of course led to a round of jokes at his expense from Takeshi.

Though Takeshi irritated him to no end he also comforted Naruto on some level for he was not as cold and unfeeling as Naruto had become. Takeshi was able to gain enjoyment, and find humor in life, despite being one to deliver death for a living. Naruto feared that if he continued this lifestyle for much longer that would fade as it had for him. For Naruto that ability had begun to fade long before he'd started taking lives for money.

Now searching the area surrounding their camp thoughts of Hinata continued to be a distraction. She had always been gentleness personified and now he believed she was beauty personified as well.

He scoffed aloud at his thoughts as his mood changed from distracted and reverent to bitter. He'd learned, the hard way, that no one was innocent and people could be brutal. He would not allow himself to continue thinking of the Hyuga this way. _She's a stranger to Ronin and I will act accordingly. Just another job, we'll take her back and I'll never see her again._

He had felt the presence approaching for a while and now that it had finally arrived his irritation only increased. Turning to look down at the small toad his glare would cause most men to piss their pants. "Leave! Go tell him to knock this shit off!" he growled viciously. The toad gave a loud croak as its only response before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Once a month, Jiraiya would send out a mass network of toads in hopes of spotting Naruto, as soon as a toad had something to report it would poof back to Mount Myoboku. Each time Jiraiya did this he would check in with the toads for any new information they might possess. It was his old sensei's way of keeping tabs on him. At first he would ignore the toads when they found him, he had been far too angry in the first few months to respond. Then he'd begun giving the toads short messages that wouldn't reveal any details, as soon as the toad would poof away Naruto knew it was time to leave a location. The toads didn't always find him sometimes he could go a year or more without being found. As the years passed he'd begun to get angrier each time he was found, sending messages to tell the Toad Sage to leave him alone. Clearly the messages hadn't sunk in.

Takeshi had asked him, years ago, why he didn't just kill the toads so his location wouldn't be revealed while sending a very poignant message to Jiraiya. When he'd explained his reasons based on the toad's innocence to Takeshi, the young man had been confused that he could take a life for pay but wouldn't kill a toad to protect his location. _I have to admit it sometimes doesn't make sense to me either._

Thirteen Minutes Earlier

He knew before entering the camp that Hinata wasn't there, this did not help his foul mood. He worried what the reaction would be if the toad had seen Hinata and was able to report to Jiraiya about her presence.

Approaching Takeshi quickly, with malicious intent apparent in his body language he asked, "Where is she?"

Takeshi was still lounging at the base of a tree appearing completely oblivious to Naruto's anger; he'd been waiting for him to return for just this moment. "Calm down. I loaned her some clothes, she changed and now she's at the stream. Is everything okay?"

"A toad," was all the response Naruto gave.

"Damn!" Takeshi stood quickly and began packing up their gear, "I guess we're pulling an all-nighter on this one."

Naruto gave an abrupt nod as he turned to look in the direction of the stream. With his back to Takeshi he didn't see the mischievous grin on his face as he nonchalantly said, "What are you waiting for? She's good to travel; well, as good as she can be in her state. So go get her and let's get the hell out of here."

As Naruto walked away Takeshi couldn't help but shake his head imagining the embarrassment of the Hyuga heiress, and the frustration of his friend that would result from his mistake.

Present

An image of Hinata's lithe body in his coat scorched him and he let out a long breath of relief as he moved away from her. Her breasts weren't the only perfect part to her body. Her tone legs that led up to hips he could imagine gripping as he pulled her tight against him making her scream in ecstasy. It'd been so hard to fight the urge to go to her and make the thoughts in his mind a reality.

_Damn that Takeshi! He set me up! _Naruto fumed as he trudged back to the camp, trying to press on through the discomfort of his tightening pants. More thoughts of his jacket and the way it had been touching and kissing her pale creamy skin struck him as he groaned in frustration. He knew it would carry her scent when he got it back, a constant reminder that she'd been naked in it. _If this keeps up I won't make it through this job._

Entering the small clearing, where Takeshi had already packed up everything, Naruto's irritation boiled over.

Takeshi stood leaning against a tree smiling at Naruto, "Did you get a good show? Or were you too late?" Naruto moved so fast it seemed as though a kunai came out of nowhere to fly at his head. Takeshi tilted his head slightly to the left allowing the kunai to graze his cheek and embed into the tree. He could've avoided it entirely but he knew he deserved some punishment for that nasty trick. He wasn't without his own, albeit twisted, sense of right and wrong. Ignoring the light trickle of blood from the small scratch, he shrugged, "I guess you were too late."

"Not funny, prick!"

Hinata stepped out of the trees with his jacket folded over her arms, turning to stare at her he thought how cute she looked in the too big clothes. She tossed the jacket to him with her uninjured right arm without even meeting his eyes. Catching it with one hand he took a deep breath to hopefully fortify his resolve to treat her like any other job, the way Ronin would typically behave. Unfortunately he was able to catch her scent coming off of the material in his hands it was a light scent of lilacs and something uniquely her. It was a scent that would torment for a long time to come. He was amazed that little shy, blushing Hinata had grown into a beautiful woman who was affecting him this way.

He moved to collect a bento box from Takeshi's pack.

"Hey, what are you doing? I was saving that!" A glare had Takeshi throwing his hands up, "Fine!"

Holding out the box to Hinata he watched her, studying every facet of her face, while trying to outwardly appear as his usual stoic self. Finally raising her eyes to meet his gaze, Naruto saw distrust and possibly hate. This helped him become detached again as it reminded him of who he'd become not who he'd once been.

Hinata merely continued to stare him, and the offered bento box, down. She didn't trust that they hadn't poisoned it, although if killing her was their goal then they'd certainly had plenty of chances to do so before now. Stepping forward she begrudgingly jerked the bento box out of Ronin's hand, saying a quick thank you for the food. Before moving away to eat inside she founds several rice balls stuffed with Kakuni a piece of braised pork; she hadn't realize how hungry she was until she'd taken the first bite. She had to stop herself from moaning in appreciation of the food with its amazing flavors. She wondered who had prepared such a meal for the assassin.

"Hurry, we're leaving soon."

His voice had been low and cold, something she was beginning to note as his usual tone. Swallowing the food in her mouth she inquired, "I thought he were settled for the evening."

"Well, clearly you were mistaken Hyuga-hime."

Hinata bristled at the veiled insult to her station within her clan and determinedly took her time enjoying her first meal in over thirty six hours. She had grown up being berated and ordered about, she'd become quite skilled at being defiant without saying a word over the years.

Finishing her meal she stood holding the bento box out to whichever male would take it. Takeshi reached out with a saddened expression on his face mumbling so low she almost couldn't hear him, "Did she have to eat all of it? She couldn't have left even one bite."

She felt embarrassment at the possibility that perhaps she'd overeaten, but quickly let that pass. _I will not feel embarrassed or ashamed in front of two assassins for hire._ Ronin had moved away to check his own pack while she was eating and Hinata saw a Ninjato tied to his back. It sat at a diagonal angle with the blade pointing towards his left shoulder and the handle pointing down towards his right hip. Clearly it was tied that way to be easily hidden, and accessed, under his coat. The fact that it was the nineteen inch short-sword tied to his back told her he liked the convenience of concealment, as well as getting in close to his opponents or victims to ensure their death.

She narrowed her eyes to glare at him as he removed the sword from his back, attached it to his pack and put his coat back on. She would've been surprised that he was unarming if she didn't instinctively know that the man had far more weapons hiding in his coat and on his person than anyone could ever discern. She could use her Byakugan to learn the amount and location of each weapon but she honestly didn't want the affirmation of just how dangerous he could be to her. No, he wasn't dangerous. She told herself he was a coward and a bully thus making her blood run cold and her anger snap

Turning to face her again he tossed his pack to Takeshi and began to approach her. Naruto caught the look of hatred in her eyes. _Damn, how much worse would she glare at me if she knew the truth of who I am? _Not that it mattered this was just one moment out of many in his life he tried telling himself. Yet despite her obviouscontempt of him every part of his body was attuned to her, wanted her. He was so hard and aching, it was all he could do not to limp. _You're such a fool_. He was Ronin. Cold and lethal he did not need comfort whether sexual or emotional from anyone. Yet still a part of himself he tried to suppress wondered what it would be like to be comforted by her just once. _Kami, even my thoughts are starting to sound ridiculous._

Naruto froze for a second as he felt an additional presence watching them, before he could react it vanished_. Another toad? No that did not feel like a toad, we need to move. _

Shifting one foot back and to the side Hinata was prepared to fight if necessary as Ronin approached. But it wasn't as he stopped two feet away turning to present his back while bending one knee, "Climb on."

Shocked and slightly outraged her eyes widened at what he was suggesting, "No!"

Takeshi spoke up, "Hyuga-san we are leaving now to return you to Suna. Ronin will carry you so we can be sure you don't attempt to run off and cheat us out of our well-deserved pay for your recovery."

"I'm sure you'll return me safely as you've stated, even if only for your money. I have no intentions of running off as you put it. I will travel alongside you." Hinata hoped they would take her word and leave it at that. She'd planned to slip away while they slept since doing so from the stream was pointless when she knew Ronin was traversing around the camp; capture would've been more likely then.

"I'm afraid we can't trust your word, common trait of assassins I'm afraid. Now climb onto my partner's back so we can get moving please. By the way that is the last time I will ask." He'd started out smiling politely but his stare had hardened as he'd finished speaking.

Grinding her teeth and glaring at them both, she took a deep breath before obliging with their wishes. _I can't believe I'm doing this! How much more.. No I won't even ask because things will only get worse._

She felt herself starting to blush a bit as she climbed onto Ronin's back wrapping her legs and arms around him. She jerked a little when he wrapped one arm around each thigh just above her knees.

"Relax," he said as he straightened and immediately leapt into the tree branches to begin the trek back to Suna.

Hinata tried to hold her upper-body as far away from him as possible, without nearly slipping off or causing him to lose his balance. This didn't last long before she chose to relax, resting her upper body against his back. The moment she did Ronin tensed at the change but gave no other reaction, the fact that he chose to ignore her for the most part helped in accepting the situation. Trying to distract herself from the warm body she was wrapped around Hinata searched for any recognizable land marks to determine how close they were to Sunagakure. She couldn't keep it up for very long she was tired and the warmth radiating off of Ronin combined his steady movements through the trees were lulling her.

Naruto became even more inflamed if that was possible when she pressed her chest into his back. Her legs were wrapped around his hips, though not the exact way he wanted them to be. The scent of her body continued to assault his nose making him want to swing her around so he could bury his face in her hair as he gripped one of her breasts. _Why didn't I let Takeshi carry her?_ But he knew the answer to that, because he was stronger and could endure the extra weight for the time it took to reach their destination. He'd underestimated her affect on him and he truly wondered if he could make it to Suna without being overcome by his urges.

Shaking himself from those thoughts he focused on leaping from branch to branch. He was so distracted when he needed to focus on their surroundings in case of an ambush. He began to think about that odd presence he'd felt back in the clearing, he worried over what it could mean.

Naruto was surprised when he felt Hinata's head slump against his back as her arms relaxed even further around his shoulders. He could hear her even slow breaths. He knew the day had taken a severe toll on her body, how else could she possibly allow herself to relax enough to sleep in the presence of a renowned assassin.

* * *

In a small room located on the outskirts of Sunagakure a half man, half plant like creature seemed to sprout from the wall as the man waiting within the room tensed in fear. One half of the creature's body was black while the other half was white, and there was Venus fly-trap like opening surrounding his head.

"You're information was indeed accurate Jun. I found Ronin right where you said he would be, for that the Akatsuki thanks you."

A purse of ryos was tossed at Jun's feet. Of all the members of Akatsuki he had to deal with, this one's appearance made him uncomfortable. He found it odd that at times when the Akatsuki member spoke his mouth didn't appear to move.

"Your gratitude is thanks enough Zetsu-san. I must ask, the Hyuga heiress.." he trailed off daring to inquire about her from Zetsu, after all he had to give a report to one more man after this.

The man-plant creature cocked his head to the side slightly, "Although she is quite beautiful we have no interest in her, though why you ask intrigues me. Nevertheless this concludes our business with you."

Jun feared a death blow at any moment but then that was to be expected when you were a snitch for hire. Crouching while watching the Akatsuki member he picked up the purse and backed out of the room.

The white half of Zetsu spoke, "Are you sure we should've let him go?"

"Yes, we may have use of him later," the black half responded. "We need to inform Tobi he'll be happy to know we've located our newest recruit."

The white half asked, "What of his partner?"

"That is up to Tobi, though I'm sure he will be discarded."

* * *

_Hinata found herself in one of the many training grounds within Konohagakure, she turned in a complete circle wondering what she was doing there. She couldn't remember if she needed to meet with the other members of Team Eight. She paused wondering why she'd be meeting them here as she hadn't been part of that team or a kunoichi for the village in nearly eight years. _

_Hearing someone approach she looked up to see a thirteen year old Naruto walking up, his trademark grin upon his face as he rubbed the back of his head._

_"Hey Hinata, it's been a long time huh?"_

_Tears welled in her eyes threatening to pour down her face "Na-Naruto-kun," she said on breathless whisper. She felt herself reverting back to the shy girl she'd once been in his presence, including the blush spreading across her face. _

_"You look good Hinata, if a little banged up," Naruto chuckled. He really hadn't been the best at social niceties, a fact she'd found refreshing as it led him to always be honest. Too often because of her clan and within her clan she saw people putting on facades, she'd witnessed the hurt such masks could cause. _

_She couldn't stop staring at him, drinking in his image and wondering what had happened to him. _

_Naruto's face turned solemn as Hinata sensed a dark presence approaching from their right. Looking over she saw Ronin in his deep red clothes, black as night jacket and mask. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she feared for Naruto as she prepared to step in front of him. Naruto stared at Ronin with an indescribable look upon his face. He turned back to her looking deep into her eyes, "I have to go now Hinata." His voice had been so low and quiet almost as if the life had been drained out of him. Ronin stopped his approach several feet away to stare coldly at the two of them. _

_"What!? No, Naruto-kun don't leave!" _

_But it was too late for he'd already turned to walk away in the direction of Ronin. Hinata was so confused she couldn't grasp what was happening, she become frantic as Naruto seemed to completely fade from sight just as he passed by the dark assassin. _

_The tears she'd been trying to contain spilled from her eyes, as she tried to stop Naruto from fading away. "Naruto-kun!" _

_Ronin was walking towards her with a sad look on his face, but Hinata was prepared to kill him for making Naruto disappear. She couldn't accomplish her goal as the world began to fade around her. _

* * *

Hinata jerked awake, scared and upset by the dream she'd had. Apparently the steady motion that had lulled her to sleep had suddenly stopped as Ronin was no longer jumping from branch to branch. She tried to get her bearings, "Where am I?" she asked drowsily.

"The border between Kaze no Kuni and Kawa no Kuni, Hyuga-hime."

She jumped off of his back as fast as possible, curling her lip in distaste at his continued insult of her station. Saying her name with hime like that instead of san or sama was as good as him outright disrespecting her station while insinuating she was nothing more than a spoiled princess.

"Your veiled insult is not appreciated right now. In the last 48 hours alone I've been drugged, kidnapped, strangled, stabbed, abducted and now insulted by you. What's next on the agenda a good maiming, some torture?"

Naruto chose to back off, she was right, she'd been through quite an ordeal and up to this point she'd handled everything well without hysterics. Bowing his head slightly he did something he hadn't done in many years, he apologized. "Forgive me Hyuga-san, I was never trained in manners."

_No you were trained to kill. Oh Kami Hinata, what were you thinking prodding this man_? She mentally cringed at the thought that he could've lashed out at her for standing up to him the way she had.

Their confrontation was broken up when Takeshi jumped out of the trees, addressing Ronin. "They'll be here shortly." He glanced suspiciously between his partner and the Hyuga heiress, he got the feeling something had happened between them while he'd located her approaching clan members.

Naruto only nodded in response and moved away from Hinata to stand slightly behind her, he needed distance between the two of them. She'd begun to thrash a little making sounds of distress before she'd jerked awake and as he'd turned to face her, pain along with hatred had been clear in her expression. He couldn't help but wonder what she'd dreamt about that could cause such emotions. But as he'd attempted to push her away by insulting her she'd called him on it, putting him in his place with a fire in her eyes that he longed to see there for other reasons.

_This day just keeps getting better. Damn my luck!_ Naruto thought as he glanced up.

Stepping out of the trees across from them was Hiashi Hyuga, with Neji Hyuga to his right and two other Hyuga clan members following behind. Naruto noticed that between those unknown clan members was another man not of the clan, this one stood out greatly from the Hyugas. Each member of Hinata's clan, except of course for Hiashi, was dressed as a shinobi of Konohagakure. The man trailing behind them was out of place not only in their party but in the forest surrounding the border with his formal dark green kimono. Naruto's keen eyes could detect that the fabric of the kimono was high quality. He was slightly curious about the out of place man, in his line of work things like that always fell under suspicion.

Naruto watched as Hinata appeared relieved to see her father, cousin and clan members though the emotions were subdued he could tell. Though as she'd begun to move forward, everything changed as her eyes landed on the formally dressed man traveling in the back of the group. He was literally watching Hinata close in on herself and he could feel a coldness coming from her as she clasped her hands in front of her while awaiting their approach with a down cast gaze. Where was the fire he'd just seen her displaying, it was as if she was a completely different woman before him. He wasn't sure if this was her typical behavior around her father, but he was beginning to suspect it was the fifth man causing the light to fade from Hinata.

The group stopped when Hiashi was within arm's reach of Hinata, though he did not reach out to touch her in any way. "Are you well nusume?" he questioned his daughter reservedly.

"Yes, otosan."

Naruto didn't understand why she wouldn't mention to her father the hole in her shoulder; he gave a nearly imperceptible signal to Takeshi.

"Hyuga-san, your daughter suffered an injury to her shoulder caused by her abductor's earth spear. We've cleaned and bandaged it, but it will require treatment." Takeshi's tone had been matter-of-fact displaying no emotion, simply relaying necessary details.

His lips pursing slightly, "I see," finally turning to the two assassins he barely glanced at Takeshi before taking his time studying Ronin.

Before another word could be spoken the kimono garbed fifth man stepped forward approaching Hinata. "Hinata-chan, I'm glad you are well. We were all quite concerned when you disappeared."

Naruto hadn't thought it possible for a man to give a more reserved, and cold, impression than Hiashi Hyuga but this guy proved him wrong.

Keeping her gaze downcast a tight smile appeared on her face, one that didn't reach her eyes as she inclined her head slightly towards the man.

"Thank you for your concern Nezu-san. We owe our thanks to Ronin-san and Takeshi-san for my safe recovery." She'd barely managed to conceal the contempt in her voice as she called the job what it had been, a recovery mission rather than a rescue.

Nezu's eyes widened upon hearing the name Ronin and he quickly looked to Naruto, his eyes seeming to narrow in a calculating manner.

Naruto had seen that look many times, it was a sign that the person had just realized he was in the presence of a lethal killer, one who had a very large bounty upon his head. _I've got your number pal, _Naruto thought.

Hiashi spoke up, turning slightly towards Neji, "You and Nezu should begin escorting Hinata back to Suna so she can be attended by the medical ninja there."

Nodding Neji responded, "Yes ojisan." He turned signaling the other clan members and Nezu to begin escorting Hinata away.

Nezu who had been standing near Hinata reached out to place his hand upon her lower back in an attempt to guide her away. Naruto felt a growl building in his chest and he fought to suppress it. _It wouldn't do to growl like an animal in front of the head of the Hyuga clan while waiting for payment_. However, the growl died quickly when he witnessed Hinata stiffen at the touch, glance up at Nezu with another unenthusiastic smile and move to walk close to her cousin. _What is going on here? Who is this guy that Hinata clearly can't stand touching her? _Naruto hadn't missed the fact that Nezu had never once looked at Takeshi, clearly deeming him unworthy of the man's attention. He probably wouldn't have looked at Naruto either if he hadn't learned the masked man standing before him was going by the name Ronin.

As Neji led the rest of the group away Hinata glanced back one time, but Naruto could not put into words what the expression was upon her face. He felt a twinge of pain in his chest as she was led away. He didn't believe he was capable of being upset over her departure and nearly glanced down in search of a wound that could cause the discomfort. Not wanting to examine his emotions since he never let himself feel any, Naruto forced his attention back to Hiashi Hyuga who was still standing before them.

Takeshi was the voice of their partnership when working a job and he stepped forward to address the Hyuga clan leader.

"We've met the conditions of the job contract Hyuga-san, your daughter has been recovered in as healthy a condition as possible, with her eyes still intact."

Hiashi nodded acknowledging Takeshi's statement, before looking at Naruto. "You're reputation obviously proceeds you as a skilled assassin Ronin. I wonder if those skills could be applied to other endeavors."

Ronin quirked an eyebrow inquiringly as a sign for Hiashi to continue.

"The danger to my daughter has increased and will continue to do so as the time of her wedding draws near," Hiashi paused.

Naruto felt that twinge of pain increase upon hearing that Hinata would be married soon and he now knew exactly who Nezu was. Anger began to boil inside him. Gritting his teeth he crossed his arms to keep himself from going after that man and killing him. _That man will have the right and privilege of touching her body, caressing it as I'd imagined doing that alone is enough to warrant his death._ Naruto had to admit he was shocked at these thoughts of possession he felt for a former acquaintance he'd known eight years ago.

"I've of course placed some of the best shinobi within the Hyuga clan as her guards and yet this abduction was still able to occur. I would pay the both of you a substantial day rate to guard Hinata until her wedding in seven days. The Hyuga council believes that once she is wed the danger to her will decrease, if not cease altogether. When I say you would guard her from a distance I mean it, I do not want it to be perceived that I lack faith in the abilities of my clan to protect my daughter. But I will take any steps necessary to ensure her security, even if it means hiring you."

Both Naruto and Takeshi had let Hiashi speak uninterrupted but with one glance Takeshi knew what their response to the offer should be. Takeshi took the lead once more, "Forgive us, Hyuga-san your offer is very generous and your request is understandable but I'm afraid we must decline the job."

Hiashi's eyes remained on Naruto though his body was turned towards Takeshi, Naruto didn't miss the constant study of his person. The Hyuga clan leader nodded slowly, then retrieved the agreed upon payment, handing it to Takeshi he turned to leave pausing to say, "If you change your mind let me know, Ronin."

Takeshi moved to stand beside Naruto as they watched the Hyuga leave. When they were sure he'd truly left, they leapt into the trees beginning the long trek they would take to dissuade pursuers from following.

"Are you sure about turning down the job?"

"It is the decision I will stand by."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone sorry it took so long to get this new chapter out. My husband Roamer79, author of the NaruHina story My Own Peace has been down for over a week with Bronchitis, so my hands have been full caring for him and our children. This is also the reason why a new chapter has not been posted for his story, for any of you who are readers of his story please be patient as he'll be working to get a new chapter out as soon as he can. **

**Narunhinalover, Leaf Ranger, Just Retribution, Kingkakashi, Vashman7, Chewie Cookies, and Naruhinalltheway I must say thank you all for your continued reviews. I appreciate each and every review I get as they truly fuel me to write so I say thank you to all of my reviewers as well. **

**Feedback on my chapters is always welcome and appreciated. Again I do not own anything belonging in Naruto's world but this story idea and the OC's are all mine. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Twenty Four Hours Later…

Naruto expelled his breath in harsh pants, despite his enhanced stamina he was beginning to feel the strain on his muscles from maintaining such a pace. He knew this wouldn't continue much longer.

He dodged a senbon aimed for his throat to rush forward, simultaneously blocking a kick to the ribs while attempting to slice his opponent across the chest with his ninjato. His opponent seemingly expected such a maneuver as he jumped back out of Naruto's extended reach due to the ninjato.

Never ceasing his forward momentum Naruto lunged onto his right foot spinning to duck under his opponent's arm as it swung out to slash him with a kunai, placing himself directly behind his opponent. It was the perfect position to deliver a killing blow. Instead Naruto used the flat of his blade to smack, none too gently, the back of his opponent's neck. "You're dead."

Just as the blade made contact his opponent's image shifted to reveal a pile of molded mud that began to ooze its way to the ground gripping onto Naruto's arm and leg. _A shadow clone._ Naruto leapt backwards breaking free of the mud that attempted to hold him in place, his eyes frantically seeking out his opponent's location and next attack. As his feet touched the ground he felt a grip upon his ankle attempting to pull him into the ground. His eyes crinkling slightly in a calculating smirk hidden behind his mask Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.

Takeshi began to climb out of the ground, "Cheater! How long have you been using a shadow clone?" He was feeling beyond exhausted but refused to quit, _I may have bitten off more than I can chew this time_.

Naruto's voice seemed to echo around Takeshi as he chuckled, "You've got some gall accusing me of cheating after using Doton Kage Bunshin and Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu. I thought we agreed taijutsu only?"

"Yeah well I don't have your infamous stamina; I had to end this session somehow." Takeshi was facing the direction he believed Naruto was located.

Naruto had to inquire about something that'd stuck out in his mind, "By the way don't think I didn't notice that you chose not to keep those caves from collapsing on us when we rescued the Hyuga heiress. Your thrill seeking could've gotten us killed."

"I had to find some way to motivate your old ass to move faster didn't I? And you know what, it worked."

Naruto leapt out of a tree ten feet behind Takeshi, placing his Ninjato back into its sheath concealed under his coat. He didn't respond as he could tell his friend was warming up for one of his long-winded, and often ridiculous, rants. Takeshi's shoulders lifted with a sigh and seemed to droop as he realized once again he'd misjudged when it came to sparring with Naruto.

He turned to face Naruto, "Sparring for sixteen hours is a bit much don't you think? You attempt to go this long during sex you'll definitely kill a woman in bed." Takeshi grimaced watching Naruto's eyes turn cold, "Sorry, that was a bad joke to make after what happ.."

Naruto turned away from him abruptly demonstrating that he had no interest in listening to Takeshi's apology. It wasn't his fault that Naruto had a few hang-ups about sex, like the fact that the last time he'd engaged in it his bed partner had slit his throat. Naruto had been forced to kill her in the bed they'd just aggressively destroyed during sex, as he bled out. Thankfully the cut hadn't been as deep as she'd intended and Takeshi had been close enough to smell the blood. Indulging his impulses and lust was not something he would ever do again. Naruto owed Takeshi his life, but that didn't mean he appreciated his latest attempt at humor. Shrugging Naruto decided it was best to simply let it go, his friend hadn't meant to dredge up those memories.

"Look, I can't keep pretending that there isn't something bothering you. You've been acting like a fox with a sore paw since we returned the Hyuga heiress. So do you want to tell me what's going on in that mind of yours? Honestly, my body can't take much more of you working out your anger on me," Takeshi continued on.

Thirty six hours ago Naruto had been reunited with an old friend by saving her life, discovered she'd grown incredibly beautiful, and became massively attracted to her. Never mind the fact that she had no idea who he was, further reason for him to ignore his attraction to her because she only saw him as Ronin. Then twenty four hours ago he learned that she would be married in six days. Naruto felt angry at the situation, especially every time an image of Nezu touching Hinata, when she clearly didn't welcome that touch, flashed in his mind. He chose to focus on the wrongness of that image as an excuse for his anger, but his frustration stemmed from the fact that because he was now Ronin to the world there was nothing he could do about Hinata's looming nuptials. Admittedly he had been taking out his anger and frustration on Takeshi since they'd returned to one of their more secure hideouts. He knew what he wanted to do, but he wouldn't, perhaps he'd misunderstood the scene and Hinata simply didn't like displaying affection in front of others.

"Shouldn't you be checking to see if there are any new contracts?"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed, he knew a brush off when he saw one. He simply nodded and left Naruto to his thoughts. _I hope you can shrug this off my friend. A distraction like the Hyuga will only lead to your downfall._

Takeshi had to travel amongst the trees for just over two hours before he reached the designated drop spot. His informant would leave messages about contracts he and Naruto might wish to fulfill hidden inside a fallen tree. As he slowed preparing to drop down to collect the messages he sensed the presence of his informant. It wasn't that he'd never caught the man as he was leaving them messages before, but it was surprising that the informant didn't appear to be leaving a message rather he appeared to be waiting for one of them.

"Hello Jun, who are you backstabbing today?"

Takeshi knew Jun provided information to anyone with enough money to pay his fee, often times double crossing people to gain a little extra ryo. The man had no sense of loyalty, only greed and fear of being caught in the act leading to his subsequent torture and inevitable death.

Jun jumped at the voice of Ronin's partner, halting his pacing as he'd waited for one of them to arrive. He hated how they always managed to appear and disappear so silently. Though he had to admit to himself he was glad to see the dark-haired young man rather than his masked partner Ronin. That man terrified him, and he was not comfortable about leaking information on him to the Akatsuki. If Ronin ever learned of his treachery he would be made to suffer terribly for it. Needless to say Jun was nervous about meeting with Ronin but he'd needed to get word to them about this potential job.

Jun tried to hide his case of nerves, "Not you, Stranger-san." _At least not today_ he silently added.

"Alright, what's so important that you felt the need to stick around in the middle of nowhere waiting for me?"

"I was approached by a man yesterday morning asking if I knew someone who could perform an assassination while retrieving identifying body parts. I instantly thought of you and Ronin."

Takeshi appeared relaxed to Jun but he was ready to take action if this was an attempted trap. "I'm flattered you thought of us, what's the job?"

Jun winced slightly, "That's the thing this job is… tricky. There is a contract already out for this target, but the information I received states a man wants to pay you and Ronin a fee to help him collect on the contract."

Takeshi's eyes widened as he released a full-bodied laugh, slowly catching his breath he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye before sobering. "That's very funny Jun."

Jun began to fidget from one foot to the other, "It's not a joke."

"Why would we accept a small fee to help someone else collect on a contract, we could easily collect? Do you realize how stupid that would be of us to pass up the chance for the higher fee?"

"But Stranger-san, you haven't heard the terms of the offer or the details of the contract." Jun had to at least try convincing him to take the job; he did not look forward to returning with bad news.

"Very well, I need a good laugh today. Tell me what these details are."

Takeshi had been, at first, amused and slightly offended that someone would believe Ronin to be so stupid as to accept such a job. But as he listened to Jun give the details of the job he became more concerned, Naruto was already in a foul mood and this would not help. He suddenly advanced on Jun causing him to place his back against a tree. "You will inform the idiot trying to hire someone to do the dirty work so he can cash in, that no self-respecting assassin would accept such a stupid contract." Takeshi turned to leave but paused, "Out of curiosity, who is the dumbass that proposed such a contract?"

Jun nearly pissed his pants as he looked into the cold eyes of the stranger, "I-I-I don't know," he stuttered. "You know these things are done anonymously, a message was left at another contact point."

"Hmm and you immediately thought of us for this job?"

"I didn't think it was out of the ordinary to come to you with it, no."

"Very well," Takeshi leapt into the trees hiding to ensure Jun truly left the area before returning to Naruto.

* * *

Eight hours later

Hinata sighed out of boredom and suppressed anger as she sat listening to her father and Nezu drone on about the benefits of their clans union. _It's not a joyful union of two hearts but a business merger to these two. _She sat compliantly at the table waiting for the time that she could escape their presence.

The journey back to Suna hadn't taken long though it had certainly seemed to. Ronin and Takeshi had traveled through the night to deliver Hinata to the border between Kaze no Kuni and Kawa no Kuni early the previous morning. She'd slept through the journey upon Ronin's back, a fact she wasn't too proud of, but a girl had to rest when she could. After being reunited with her clan members and Nezu the journey had seemed to take far longer. Nezu had deigned the task of speaking to her unless absolutely necessary too irksome apparently. Hinata knew his inquiry about her when they'd arrived at the border was for show in front of her father. _It wouldn't do to have my father believe my future husband doesn't care that I was kidnapped and abused._ Upon arrival in Sunagakure Hinata had been met by the Kazekage Gaara-san with medical ninjas to treat any injury she'd incurred. The Kazekage had been apologetic that something like her abduction could occur within the walls of his village.

Hinata had not developed a relationship with Gaara over the years as some of the Konohagakure shinobi had, but she knew that he had been close with Naruto and she therefore held him in high esteem. He appeared wise for his age and well suited to the role of Kazekage that he'd maintained all these years. Hinata had assured him that the Hyuga clan didn't place any blame upon him for what had occurred, at least she didn't. She thanked him for his concern and the treatment provided by the village's medical ninjas. Thanks to their aid the wound in her shoulder was nearly completely healed. _At least I'm not walking around with a hole through it anymore, the bandage with a sling for my arm might affect the line my wedding kimono cuts_, she thought sarcastically.

Upon returning to her room at the Inn she had been bombarded with concern and questions from her young sister Hanabi. As well as the female branch members of her clan assigned to assist her in wedding preparations. Their concern was of course for her well-being after the abduction but also over the fact that she'd been rescued by Ronin. All of their questions had been about him, they wanted to know every detail about the notorious man even the most hardened criminals feared.

Hinata had felt exasperated at their misplaced interest in such a man, but she understood the allure of him. She herself had been highly curious about him before their encounter and now she couldn't help but be even more intrigued. Though so such thoughts didn't matter for she would never see the man again, _and I don't want to_, she mentally lied to herself. There was something about him she couldn't quite put her finger on. It didn't help that when she'd finally slept, the disturbing dream of seeing Naruto again and Ronin causing him to leave replayed in her mind. Hinata could not figure out what the dream was trying to tell her, mind you the dream had not remained the same but the premise did. She would be reunited with Naruto only to watch as his jovial mood changed to forlorn upon the arrival of Ronin, then Naruto would seemingly fade away as Ronin approached her. She always woke just before she was within Ronin's reach, these dreams shook her and made her more determined to sort out their meaning.

"..do you agree Hinata-san?"

Hinata was jarred from her wonderings as she heard Nezu say her name. _Oh Kami, what were we discussing?_ "I'm sorry. I fear I'm still overly tired from my ordeal. What did you say Nezu-san?"

Giving her a disapproving look as one would a forgetful child, he chose not to repeat his previous comment Nezu instead replied, "Perhaps you should take a nap Hinata-san."

It was clear in his tone that he was gripping onto any excuse possible to get her out of his presence, which was fine by her for she didn't want to be near him anyway. Nezu couldn't care less about her feelings or thoughts on any matter; he'd made that clear from the moment they'd met though he certainly put on a good act in her father's presence. Hinata had tried to tell her father this, but he would hear none of it believing she was simply suffering a case of pre-wedding jitters typical of weak females.

Hinata longed to prove her father wrong when it came to his opinion of Nezu and herself. How could he see her as anything but weak when she'd allowed him to browbeat her into giving up on being a shinobi of Konohagakure? She'd allowed him to mold her into his idea of an obedient, but weak, version of the daughter he saw her as.

Without sparing a glance for her fiancée Hinata stood bowing to her father, "Please excuse me otosan, I believe I will retire to take a brief rest before dinner."

Hiashi bowed his head, "Very well musume, I will have the physician come to your room in two hours."

Hinata paused wondering just how much she had missed of this conversation. "I'm sorry otosan, why would the physician be coming to my room? My shoulder is nearly healed."

Hiashi for his part actually appeared slightly uncomfortable before giving her another disapproving look. _The look he nearly always has when he looks at me_. "Hinata, Nezu has demanded, as is his right as your betrothed, that you be examined to ensure you are still..pure after your ordeal."

Hinata's eyes nearly bulged out of her head at the audacity of this man. She understood it was his right and an understandable concern after a kidnapping such as hers, but she was angered and embarrassed. Both emotions stemmed from his doubt in her assertions that she had not been raped, and the humiliation of having to submit to such an exam.

Clenching her teeth to keep from telling Nezu just where he could shove his exam Hinata spoke slowly and clearly as she replied, "Of course otosan, as it is his right to demand such an exam, it is my duty to acquiesce."

Hinata attempted not to storm from the room but instead flow out of it as was proper for a lady of her station. Once the door of the room was closed with her standing on the other side out of view she had to take a deep calming breath. She couldn't help but be angry and dejected at the course her life was taking and the fact that she had no say in its direction. Lost deep in her own thoughts Hinata turned the corner to head down another hall, her room was located at the end of it. She hadn't noticed that the normal guard of branch clan members was no longer in the hallway; if she had perhaps she would have been on guard.

Hinata glanced up just in time to see a man rush forward while slicing at her throat with a kunai. Throwing her upper body backwards in an attempt to dodge the kunai Hinata overcompensated and her weight began to pull her down to the floor. She allowed herself to fall, bringing her right leg up at the same time. She caught her attacker in the gut as his momentum threw him forward leaving him unable to stop. When he hunched over from her kick Hinata snapped her foot back to release it in a powerful kick to the side of the man's head. He fell into the wall and began to slide down as Hinata rolled to stand preparing to call out for help as she turned away only to be stopped by a second man grabbing her by the throat. She thrust both palms into the man's sternum channeling enough chakra to throw him backwards.

Hinata studied the situation, the first man to attack her was attempting to climb to his feet behind her and the second attacker was down, but not out, in front of her. The two had successfully blocked both possible escape routes for her. She chose to run past the second attacker back in the direction of her father, as she approached the downed man she kicked out to hit him in the side of the head incapacitating him. Just as she reached the corner she slammed into the chest of another man whose hands immediately rose to grip her upper arms. A quick glance up had Hinata pausing her instinctive attack, standing before her was Ronin staring down at her with cold blue eyes. _He's going to kill me now_, she thought as he glanced up towards the other two attackers then quickly turned to press her back to the wall. He pressed his body close to hers forcing her tight into the wall as an explosion rocked the hallway from the direction of the attackers.

* * *

Five and a Half Hours Earlier

Naruto decided to look over some of the jutsu scrolls he and Takeshi had managed to "acquire" over the years and continue training, while waiting for his partner's return. Since leaving Konoha his training had been a bit limited, he'd met several freelance assassins his first year away from the village who had trained him in their trade. After all he'd needed a way to eat, the assassins had provided that way along with giving him valuable skills to remain hidden from his home village. Though convincing them to train him hadn't been easy and had nearly cost him his own life, they'd finally relented. However, jutsus hadn't been a big specialty of theirs so Naruto did what he'd always done, he learned through trial and error.

If Naruto witnessed a particular jutsu he thought would be beneficial he studied every aspect of it in action then tried his hardest to recreate it to his best ability. Often times this method failed and sometimes he had to steal jutsu scrolls from other villages, but when it was successful he got that old feeling of accomplishment he'd gain when training with Ero-sennin and Kakashi-sensei. Through this method of training he'd discovered he had an affliction for Wind Release jutsus, he could surprisingly use other elemental jutsus besides the Wind Release though some were more efficient than others.

Takeshi leapt out of the trees behind Naruto and chose not to waste any time informing his friend of what he'd learned from Jun. Naruto beat him to the punch turning to assess him, "What's wrong? Do we have a job?"

Takeshi walked past him to begin gathering their things, "No, no we do not have a job in the: we've been contracted and will receive pay concept of having a job."

One of Naruto's eyebrows quirked up in confusion and slight amusement, "You do realize that made no sense right?"

Sighing deeply Takeshi squared his shoulders and turned to face his friend, "Jun was waiting for one of us at the drop point. He had a rather interesting job offer, to say the least."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest before waving with one hand for Takeshi to get on with it.

"Alright, there's no easy way to explain this job to you. So here goes, Hinata Hyuga has a contract out for her assassination and the retrieval of her eyes. The fee is actually for her eyes and not her death. Someone contacted Jun to hire us for the job but wants us to submit the eyes so this mysterious person can collect the actual reward on the contract, not us." Takeshi had made sure to share the information in one breath without pause as he could see the anger building in Naruto's eyes.

Naruto felt a burning rage build inside of him at the idea that Hinata was being hunted so ruthlessly; he had a good idea where the original contract on her eyes had originated. But for someone else to seek him out to do the dirty work and allow that person to collect on a contract was the odd part. The whole situation sounded wrong. "Who proposed the job to Jun?"

"He claims it was done anonymously.."

Naruto growled cutting off Takeshi. He knew that was a lie, even when one tried to remain anonymous that was impossible with Jun. The only reason Jun didn't know his true identity was because he and Takeshi were paranoid bastards whom Jun feared above all else.

Takeshi knew Naruto would be angry only an idiot could have been so blind as to not see the attraction his friend was feeling towards Hinata Hyuga. But Naruto was highly unpredictable and Takeshi wasn't sure what action, if any, he would take in regards to the threat against a woman Takeshi suspected he'd known before leaving Konoha.

Naruto began to pace while thinking over everything, he began to mumble, "Hiashi had to have suspected there was a contract. Why else would he offer to hire us to shadow Hinata?"

Takeshi knew Naruto wasn't actually speaking to him but was merely thinking out loud, it was a bad habit he'd developed when something truly troubled him. Takeshi chose to interject his opinions into Naruto's rambling anyways, "Yeah but you turned down that job offer, remember you did the whole it's the decision I'll stand by spiel."

Naruto paused mid-step to throw a glare at Takeshi. _I can't just sit by and let her be hunted_, he thought to himself.

"Let's go."

Takeshi merely nodded understanding there'd be no arguing with Naruto on this matter.

* * *

Five Hours and Twenty Eight Minutes Later

Naruto and Takeshi had managed to infiltrate the village of Suna thanks to a contact of Naruto's that Takeshi had never met. Their luck even held up as they snuck into the Inn without being discovered by the Hyuga clan members. Naruto signaled for Takeshi to take another route to reach Hinata's room once they'd discovered its location. Naruto had a feeling that if the man had asked Jun to hire them, then there was no doubt he'd attempt to hire someone else. Naruto wasn't going to take any chances.

Takeshi entered the hall near Hinata's room just as she'd run by an attacker and kicked him in the head. _Not bad. _Just as he came even with the door to the Hyuga heiress' room it swung open to reveal another Hyuga female with her dojutsu kekkei genkai activated. Takeshi couldn't help but admire the girl before him, taking in every detail of her in a matter of seconds. _Again I say not bad, not bad at all_. Clearly her byakugan had allowed her to see some of the altercation in the hall because she swung a chakra filled palm at Takeshi's heart.

Catching her wrist he quickly spun the girl back towards the room shoving her in with a quick swat to her ass. "Best if you stay in here gorgeous, it'll be safer," he said as he slammed the room door on a very irate Hanabi Hyuga.

Hinata's first attacker stood, and catching sight of Ronin in the hallway, chose to run in the opposite direction. This of course brought him straight to Takeshi who threw a kunai at his head. The attacker decided to make himself an exit rather than wait around for Ronin to catch up to him. However, this would prove to be the wrong decision for as he slipped an exploding seal out of his pouch another of Takeshi's kunai caught him in the wrist. The man in his pain mistakenly set off the seal.

"Oh, you baka!" Takeshi immediately turned barging into the Hyuga's room only to be struck in his abdomen before a blast threw him and the young Hyuga female to the floor.

_Kami, she has the most beautiful eyes_, Naruto thought as he looked down at Hinata. Then he heard the blast and tensed to take the brunt of the repercussion, shielding Hinata with his body by caging her in. He tucked his head in against her throat inhaling the scent of her body, even stronger now that she wasn't covered in dirt and blood. He felt like he'd been hit in the gut pressed so tightly against her, an instinct to take advantage of having her in this submissive position raged through him but there were other matters to deal with. Naruto groaned as he pulled himself away from her, he would never forget the imprint of her every curve pressed against his body.

Glancing down the hall he saw the attackers were dead, caught in the blast, but he didn't see Takeshi. Getting a firm grip on Hinata's wrist he dragged her in the direction of where his friend should be. As they neared where he'd last seen Takeshi he heard a groan coming from a room, looking in he had to admit even he was shocked at the sight. There laid Takeshi sprawled on top of a female with his hips conveniently placed between her spread thighs.

"Get up Takeshi, we don't have time for your indulgences."

Hinata had been in shock and she finally found her voice, "Hanabi!" She attempted to rush to her sister's side but Ronin's grip on her wrist stopped her.

Naruto's mind was working in overdrive as Takeshi climbed off of a struggling Hanabi, taking a couple more blows from the looks of it.

"Female! Seriously, knock it off I just saved your life," Takeshi was struggling to rise to his feet while blocking the fists and feet of the young woman he'd found himself on top of.

"Ugh, get off of me!" Hanabi screeched.

Naruto chose to ignore the frustrations of all three of the people in the room, he knew Takeshi wasn't ignoring him.

"Takeshi, grab her. She's coming with us too."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, I'm back again with another chapter. I must say I'm pleased to see everyone enjoying Takeshi and his interaction with Hanabi. I honestly hadn't planned on giving him the size of the role he has in the fic but as stories tend to do this one ran away with me. *whisper* I think Takeshi is leading the run. As always constructive criticism is appreciated and welcomed. **

**To all of my reviewers, followers, and those who have listed this story and/or me as a favorite I give you my thanks. I am honored that you are enjoying my fic and I hope you continue to do so as the story goes on. **

**Enjoy**

* * *

Chapter 5

"What!?"

Was all Naruto heard simultaneously from three different people as Hanabi renewed her struggles with Takeshi. Hinata chose that moment to begin to struggle.

Hinata was so tired of everything she'd had to suffer the last few days. Her arranged betrothal, abduction, rescue, the continued contempt of her betrothed, another attempt on her life and now this it was all too much. Activating her byakugan Hinata lashed out with a juken strike that made contact with the tenketsu points in Ronin's shoulder. He released her left wrist as his entire arm dropped uselessly to his side. Hinata wasn't finished; her anger was overflowing as she proceeded to strike as many tenketsu points as possible to incapacitate Ronin. As he fell into the wall she turned towards Takeshi, resuming her old fighting stance she immediately rushed at the man.

Naruto had expected some argument from Hinata but not an all out attack, if he had been anyone else those strikes of hers to his tenketsu points would have laid him out. Instead it merely knocked him off balance as the Kyuubi inside of him worked to heal and reopen his closed chakra network. He saw her preparing to charge Takeshi and felt bad that the sight of her fighting spirit was turning me on. But this was not the time for that, they needed to secure both Hyuga females and leave the area. _Forgive me Hinata._

Before Hinata could get within three feet of Takeshi and Hanabi, she felt pain explode at the base of her skull before the world around her went dark. She thought she heard her sister scream her name as she lost consciousness.

Naruto winced behind his mask after striking Hinata to knock her unconscious, he swooped her up into his arms as she began to fall to the floor. Hanabi panicked at seeing her sister get knocked out but when Naruto looked up to assess the situation with her he discovered Takeshi had followed his lead and rendered her unconscious as well. Unfortunately, he hadn't followed his example of catching the girl before she had fallen to the floor. Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"What?" Takeshi asked clueless.

"Remind me to teach you some of the finer points of being a gentleman another time," Naruto gave a pointed look at the prone body of Hanabi on the floor.

Takeshi glanced left and right then down at Hanabi, lifting a finger to point at her he grimaced, "That might not have been my smoothest move, I should probably get that huh?"

"You think?"

Takeshi gathered Hanabi into his arms, as he straightened to stand both he and Naruto heard shouts approaching.

Naruto set Hinata down gently between his bent knees bracing her weight against him as he performed a few hand seals then placed his right hand on Hinata's back at the base of her neck. A seal was left behind that quickly vanished from sight; he saw that Takeshi had the forthright to do the same to Hanabi. Picking up Hinata he said, "Time to go."

Each man carried a Hyuga female as the split up, taking two different routes to escape that section of the Inn.

* * *

"What do you mean he turned down the job!? I didn't pay you that absurd fee for you to FAIL!"

Jun held his ground, this man before him while cold and calculating was nowhere near as terrifying as Ronin or the Akatsuki .

"I did my best, but that half thrown together plan to convince him to help someone else collect on a contract was ridiculous. Ronin's partner laughed in my face, they haven't survived this long by being stupid."

The man waved Jun's comments away, "Fine! You've cost me the bounty on Ronin's head, but no matter. I've already made other arrangements. The Hyuga eyes will be in my hand before the night is out, I will collect the reward for them and get the hell out of this village."

Jun was frustrated he had hoped that somehow this man could come up with a plan that would put Ronin in a position for the Akatsuki to approach him. Now Jun would nothing to report, hopefully Zetsu had been able to keep tabs on Ronin, if not Jun may not live long enough to spend all the ryo's he was collecting. He was really beginning to feel like a cook who tries to stir too many pots at once; eventually something is going to boil over.

* * *

Naruto laid an unconscious Hinata down upon the bed, wincing slightly, _I might have hit her too hard._ Naruto reached out to push the hair out of her face, his touch lingered caressing her cheek before he caught himself and jerked away. _This can't happen_, he told himself of the longing he felt while looking at her.

Returning to the main room of the suite he saw Takeshi watching Hanabi as she lay upon the couch. He looked at her as though he were studying a puzzle that needed to be solved. Before Naruto could comment on Takeshi's behavior a light knock was heard on the door. Wordlessly he signaled to Takeshi to stay out of sight as he checked to verify their visitor before opening the door ten inches. Standing there was an ANBU of Suna wearing a strip of cloth to hide all of his face except for his eyes. Naruto bowed his head slightly, "Thank you for coming."

The ANBU spoke in a low tone, "Yes well I had no choice, thanks to your antics in the other wing of this Inn. Here he sent you these, use them wisely."

Naruto accepted a wrapped bundle of beige cloth and a key, "I understand, tell him.." The ANBU held up his hand halting Naruto mid-sentence.

"He knows. He said to tell you, 'Be sure of what you want,' whatever that means." The ANBU immediately turned and left Naruto in silence.

_Thank you, Kankuro_, he silently thanked the man as he walked away. Naruto knew what the message meant. It was a conversation that had occurred several years ago between himself and Gaara, one his wise friend seemed to enjoy reminding him of.

Six Years Ago

"Kazekage-sama, we captured this young man attempting to enter the village." Two shinobi of Sunagakure stood behind a fifteen year old Naruto who kept his head down so the hood of his cloak wouldn't reveal his hair thus giving away his identity. Glancing up he was shocked when he discovered who the Kazekage was. Sitting behind a large desk sat one Gaara of the Desert. _Hmph at least one of us managed to achieve something with our lives, I'm proud of you Gaara._

Gaara studied the figure standing before him in a mask and cloak, "Are you a threat to my village?" he asked the young man who only shook his head no. He peered at this shinobi questioningly.

"Kazekage-sama, he refused to remove his mask and cloak. He refused to tell us what village he is affiliated with and he refused to give a reason for seeking entrance to the village."

Gaara nodded slowly and appeared puzzled as he began speaking to the young man again, "Is this true?"

Before the young man could nod an affirmative one of the shinobi nudged him hard, "You will speak to the Kazekage with the respect he deserves, not with nods and shakes of your head," the shinobi said with authority.

Gaara saw the young man's hands clench into tight fists.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama it is true."

"And do you have an affiliation with any known villages?" Gaara questioned.

"No Kazekage-sama."

"What is your purpose in Suna?"

At this question the young man sighed then raised his head slightly allowing the hood of his cloak to slip back so that a few strands, which look like spikes, of blonde hair were noticeable. Gaara looked into the young man's eyes and knew who stood before him. Waving his hand he dismissed his shinobi, "Leave us, I have much to discuss with this young man."

"But Kazekage-sama..?"

Gaara interrupted his shinobi, "You will leave us. My safety is not in jeopardy, is it?" he asked of the young man before him whose eyes crinkled above his mask.

"No Kazekage-sama, you are not in jeopardy from me."

With that Gaara waved his shinobi out of his office as they attempted to stutter protests while eyeing the village intruder warily. As the door closed behind the shinobi Gaara enacted privacy seals around his office.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I must say I am both surprised and pleased to see you alive and well in my office."

Naruto lowered the hood of his cloak while Gaara closed the windows and curtains around his office. Once it was no longer possible for anyone to see or hear inside the office Naruto lowered the mask on his face as well, smiling at Gaara. "It is good to see you again Gaara."

"It's surprising, and, forgive me for stealing a term from Shikamaru Nara, troublesome to see you again Naruto."

The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up in a half-smile at the mention of Shikamaru and the use of his most commonly used phrase.

"You've put me in a tough position coming here Naruto. You've been a missing-nin of Konohagakure for two years and as such it should be my duty to immediately detain you and report your location to the Hokage. So tell me what has led you down this path and why I won't be doing as I should."

Naruto gestured to one of the chairs in a request for permission to sit and Gaara nodded an affirmative. Opening his cloak and taking a seat he said, "I thank you for not detaining or reporting me Gaara. I do not wish to cause you any trouble."

Gaara noticed the dark red color of Naruto's clothing, "I see you have more to tell me other than why you left Konoha my friend." At Naruto's blank look Gaara gestured to his clothing, "Like why you've taken on the persona of Ronin, an assassin who is gaining quite a reputation."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, a habit he'd yet to fully break, "How have I amassed a reputation I've only been working as an assassin for a few months?"

"Well when one assassin can amass an army in the blink of an eye, people start to notice."

_Damn, I have to be more careful of what jutsus I use. I knew Rasengan was out but I didn't think the Kage bunshin no jutsu was._

Gaara seemed to be reading Naruto's thoughts, "You have to be more careful if you don't want to be found. Using a shadow clone technique isn't unheard of but no one other than Naruto Uzumaki can use that technique to such a level. Coming here could have been the biggest mistake you've made, so far."

"Could have been?" Naruto inquired.

Gaara smiled wryly, "As I said, I won't report your location to Konohagakure, please begin I'm sure this will be a riveting tale."

Naruto gave a humorless smile to Gaara before stating, "I no longer claim affiliation to any village nor do they claim me."

Naruto proceeded to explain to Gaara his reasons for becoming a missing-nin, becoming an assassin, and going by the name of Ronin. After listening to his explanation Gaara proclaimed that as long as it was within his power Naruto or Ronin would have sanctuary within Suna. Of course by within his power, Gaara meant as long as he could manage it secretly without revealing that he allowed a missing-nin to remain untouched within his village.

"You were my first friend and one of the only people who understood how I felt as a Jinchuriki, I will do my best to help you by honoring that bond," Gaara stated proudly.

"I cannot express how grateful I am for that Gaara, but I do not wish to bring trouble to you or this village."

Gaara ignored his friend's concerns as the two devised a system for relaying messages and a way for Naruto to enter the village without detection.

Present

Takeshi had never met Naruto's contact in Sunagakure, his friend claimed it was too risky. He didn't feel insulted or believe that Naruto lacked trust in him; he understood that it must be necessary for Naruto trusted him with every other aspect of his life. He could not hear the words being exchanged at the door though it didn't appear to matter as the interaction seemed to last no longer than a minute.

Naruto secured the door and turned back to Takeshi, unwrapping the bundle in his arms he held out a suit of clothes to him and a key.

"Here get changed, then you're going to take her," he pointed to a still unconscious Hanabi, "to the room this key is for and secure her there so you can report the situation to her father." He paused to give Takeshi a withering look. "I do not mean tie her down either. You will use the seals I taught you to keep her from escaping the room."

Takeshi looked appalled, "You sure do know how to take all the fun out of a situation. Do you know that?" He snatched the clothes out of Naruto's hands to change in the bathroom. Coming out of the bathroom he appeared to be dressed as an ANBU of Suna in the beige shirt, pants, and flak vest with cloth wrapped around his head and covering his face below his eyes. He silently picked up Hanabi, more gently than Naruto would have expected, and left the room.

The Inn consisted of four wings, each one strategically arranged as though pointing in a specific direction with several lounges and conference rooms located at the epicenter as well as throughout the four wings. The Hyuga heiress' room had been in the East wing, Takeshi and Naruto had relocated both females to the North wing. Now Takeshi carried Hanabi further down the North wing to a separate suite. _How does no one in this stinking hotel notice two high born females being carted around this place?_ Takeshi mentally shrugged. _Guess I shouldn't complain wouldn't want to bring attention to them when we just saved their asses_. Glancing down at the passenger in his arms he thought, _that is a perfect ass._

The reasoning behind this is the old cliché of be where your enemies least suspect you. They don't expect you to be right under their noses or to remain in an area where you were just attacked. Splitting up the Hyugas was a necessity, while Hinata is the primary target of the contract if she were to go into hiding there's no reason why Hanabi wouldn't then be targeted for her eyes.

Takeshi knew Naruto was now placing him solely responsible for the safety of the younger Hyuga, a fact he wasn't fond of, not because he hated being alone with a good looking female. No his dislike stemmed from concern over allowing Naruto to be alone with a female he was attracted to. The fact that they'd been needed to save her life twice in forty hours led proves that she is a magnet for trouble and danger. _Obviously, she's attracting the deadliest freaking assassin._

Takeshi juggled the young woman in his arms to unlock the door to the suite, using his foot he kicked it closed and turned to find the bedroom so he could set down his passenger. _She's pretty good at pretending to be unconscious while waiting for a good time to strike. Like when there's no risk of me dropping her flat on her ass. _Deciding to test her Takeshi stated, "It's too bad you're unconscious beautiful we could have fun while waiting for Daddy to come collect you. Ah, who am I kidding I'll have fun whether your conscious or not, just as soon as I get you secured to that bed right there."

Takeshi waited for the bundle in his arms to lash out. He had to admit she had been cute when attacking him before and after the explosion. He expected another display of her attempts to hurt him because of his lecherous words. When she didn't immediately try attacking him he set her on the bed constantly on guard, but amazingly she continued the act of being unconscious. Backing away warily he waited.

Hanabi had returned to the land of wakefulness just in time to hear a conversation about not tying her down to a bed. _That's a comforting conversation to wake to_. She'd pretended to remain unconscious hoping to hear details of her sister's location and condition, but she was quickly picked up. It took every ounce of willpower to remain relaxed, it's a natural instinct when conscious to tense up when a stranger touches you let alone picks you up. Her efforts seemed to be wasted as neither man spoke again and she was carried at least thirty feet out of the room she'd woken in. She'd guessed this distance based upon how many steps the man had taken while calculating in the average length of a man's strides. It was a method she'd learned from Hinata many years ago when she was still a part of team eight, she'd thought her sister was so cool back then. _And now she's... _

With a mental shake of her head Hanabi forced herself away from such thoughts, now was not the time. She needed to learn where they'd moved her to so she could escape and find Hinata. She waited listening for any movement to indicate the man had left the room. But as she thought about it, she realized he'd carried her without making a sound. Other than the typical noises of one opening and closing a door the trip had been eerily silent except of course for when he spoke. She couldn't deny that she'd felt a rage ignite inside her but she'd been trained to wait to be patient and await the opportune moment to strike.

After waiting for what felt like twenty minutes, she had to risk activating her byakugan to determine if he'd left. She looked around the room but there was no one present, Hanabi saw that she was in a suite similar to the one she'd shared with her sister. _I must still be in the Inn. Maybe Hinata is still here too if they didn't abduct her. If I can get out of this room then I can search for her. _Sitting up she maintained her byakugan to alert her of the young man's return, she wanted nothing more than to rush from the room and find her sister. However as soon as she stood up and deactivated the byakugan she gasped falling back onto the bed at the sight of the Suna ANBU before her.

"When did you arrive?" Rising she began to move past him, "Did you see the man who left me here? Has he been detained? We must begin a search for my sister immediately!" Her voice was filled with every ounce of command befitting of her station that she could muster.

She spoke so quickly the ANBU appeared to have difficulty making sense of the jumble she'd just spat at him. Before she could get past the ANBU he grasped her arm, "You will be staying here gorgeous."

Eyes widening in shock, she turned to look up at him recognizing that voice and becoming angered that she'd been tricked so easily. Enunciating every word slowly, making sure she had his attention drawn to her face she stated, "No…I…will…not!" She'd reached up to grip the thumb of the hand holding her arm twisting it away to make him release her. She jammed that elbow into his side quickly with enough force to send him stumbling several feet away.

At least that's what should have happened. Instead the man swung his opposite arm around her neck turning her to pull her back to his chest tightly with his forearm lightly pressing on her throat. Hanabi froze knowing that if he began to apply pressure to the carotid artery there was nothing she could do to stop him from rendering her unconscious in seconds. His other arm wrapped around her midsection further ensuring she did not struggle. She was alone with a man who possessed the skills to stop her and remain undetected by her byakugan. _How the hell did he do that?_ _I should have clearly been able to see him standing in front of the door._ His voice was a low rasp in her ear as she clenched her teeth at the precariousness of her situation.

"Apparently you forgot the fact that I saved your life earlier. Now tell me why would I do that if I intended to kill you now?"

Hanabi struggled slightly, "Why should I presume to know the thoughts of some strange assailant?"

"Hmm. Good point Hyuga-hime."

Hanabi bristled at is snide dig, "What do you want? If you are going to kill me then do so, if your intention is to rape me I swear you won't live to regret it."

Takeshi had been enjoying this encounter immensely; there was something about the little Hyuga in front of him that intrigued him. He sighed knowing he had to end this little battle of wills and see to the task Naruto had assigned him. An enticing scent reached him through the ANBU mask and he couldn't help but tilt his head down slightly to discover the source was the spitfire in his arms.

Hanabi felt the man lean his head closer to her and she tried to jerk away from him, "What do you think you are doing!? Let go of me at once?"

Takeshi took that moment to apply the necessary pressure to render her unconscious once again; though this time he made sure not to let her hit the floor. He quickly placed her back upon the bed and set about the placing the seals on the windows and outer door that would render her unable to exit the room. Taking one more look at the unconscious young woman Takeshi smiled slightly under the cloth covering the lower half of his face and exited the room.

Meanwhile

Hinata came awake suddenly sitting up in bed feeling panicked but unable to recall the reason behind the emotion. Looking around she found herself alone in her room, but upon a closer inspection she realized something wasn't right all of the furniture was on the opposite side of the room. _I'm not in my room, I'm still in the Inn, so who's room is this_ she thought questioningly. Then the memory of the attack in the hall, Ronin, the explosion, and Hanabi flashed through her mind. "Hanabi, where are you?" she whispered to herself.

Activating her byakugan she searched the rest of the suite and found no one, _What the..?Why would they abduct me and Hanabi then leave me alone? Was the attack really aimed at her and I simply got in the way? _Hinata pushed her field of vision further attempting to seek out Hanabi's chakra signature, this was taxing not only on her eyes but on her chakra reserves. However, she was determined to search the entirety of the Inn, she had to know if Hanabi was still close by. Hinata took her time identifying every person within the immense structure and grounds of the Inn searching for Hanabi. She'd already managed to locate her father, Neji, and the rest of the clan members traveling with them. She became increasingly frustrated as the strain of using the byakugan began to take its toll; she attempted to expand her vision even further to search the area surrounding the Inn. Unfortunately it was at this point a sharp pain shot through both eyes and she felt a warm trickling of liquid flow down her face, Hinata knew she'd pushed too far when the coppery scent of blood reached her nose.

Closing her eyes she felt dejected that she was unable to push herself beyond these limits to locate her sister. She rose while keeping her eyes shut and attempted to make her way to the bathroom, navigating the room by memory. She froze however when she heard a voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Naruto had been silently pacing in the outer room of the suite pondering how to handle being alone with Hinata and what his next steps in her protection should be when he smelled blood. Fearing what the cause could be, knowing it was impossible for anyone to have entered the room he wasn't sure what to expect but he was not expecting to see Hinata alone in the room shuffling towards the bathroom with her hands outstretched before her. He halted his forward progression into the room, "What have you done?" his question came out harsher than he intended and he prayed to Kami that she wouldn't be able to identify the level of worry in his tone.

Hinata couldn't believe Ronin was in the room. _How is he able to enter my field of vision so fast? _Swinging around to face him she opened her eyes but found her vision obscured by blood, rather than reveal a weakness by attempting to rub her eyes she instead slipped into a fighting stance ready to defend herself.

Naruto sucked in his breath sharply at the sight of blood streaming from Hinata's eyes, he knew he hadn't caused that when he'd rendered her unconscious.

"You little baka, what have you done?" he asked softly.

Hinata was confused at his tone, he almost seemed concerned. "Where is my sister?" she demanded. She couldn't see him, nor did she hear any movement but suddenly her face was gripped softly on either side as he titled her head up. One part of her mind was shocked at the gentleness of his touch while the more prominent part of her mind felt a rush of fear induced adrenaline. She attempted to jerk her face away while launching a blind attack, but he maintained his grip on her face and deflected her efforts to get away all without causing her any pain.

"Stop," he growled, "I need to see the extent of the damage."

Shocked by his actions and words Hinata froze as confusion spread across her face. "I-I don't understand," she whispered.

"What is there to understand?" he questioned as he began using his fingertips to attempt wiping the blood away. "You've foolishly caused harm to your eyes and I need to see just how bad it is."

Hinata bristled slightly before she gave one more attempt at shoving him away while pulling her face out of his grasp. However, she only succeeded in separating them by a couple of inches before she heard an exasperated sigh. _Why should he be the one exasperated? I'm the one who's been abducted and is missing a sibling._ She quickly swiped her arm over her face attempting to remove the blood from her eyes, while she did accomplish her goal she also smeared the blood across her face and arm.

Naruto felt a pang in his chest, blood did not bother him in his profession it was a common occurrence but seeing Hinata's blood and knowing she was in pain disturbed him on another level he didn't wish to examine too closely. Shoving the feeling aside he knew he had to reassure and calm Hinata otherwise his attempts at keeping her safe would be for naught, as she would continually attempt to attack him. Stepping away, though he desperately wanted to help remove the blood from her and provide first aid for her eyes he attempted to speak in as calming a tone as his roughened voice could manage.

"You're safe, okay. I'm not going to hurt, maim, rape, or kill you. I give you my word."

"Why should I trust the word of a known assassin?" Hinata spat back at him.

_Where did the little she-devil come from? What happened to the shy, soft-spoken girl I remember?_ Naruto couldn't understand what could've changed Hinata so greatly over the years, but he had to admit this version of her intrigued him.

"Clearly you have some issues with me being an assassin," he sarcastically pointed out the obvious. "By all means don't hold back, tell me how you really feel."

Hinata scowled at the dark blur in front of her that she knew was Ronin, slightly concerned that her vision was still blurred even after she'd wiped away the blood. Before she could respond the blur paced slightly away from her.

Pacing as though he had nothing else of consequence to deal with, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I must say I'm curious as to what you could possibly have against me, I mean after all didn't you used to be a shinobi for Konohagakure? And don't the shinobi of hidden villages perform assassinations for a fee? Oh but let me guess, it's different when an assassination is carried out by directive of a Kage versus what I do, is that it?"

Hinata was puzzled at the turn of the conversation, but felt he was insulting her intelligence with his sarcasm. "If you must know my issue is not so much that you are an assassin, I could care less about that. It is the fact that you are a man who would kill anyone if the price were right. Shinobi do perform assassinations, on that you are correct. However, those assassinations are only approved by my Hokage if the reasons for it are justified. Your ethics vary depending upon the amount of money offered to you; you are essentially without true morals. Everyone knows of your ruthless ways and how you never leave any survivors. Tell me how many innocent people have you killed because the fee for the contract was lucrative? How many women? How many children?"

Naruto's was dumbfounded by her naivety and his anger boiled over.

Hinata was startled when Ronin rushed forward suddenly forcing her back against a wall. He did not press his body against her as he did when the explosion occurred, instead he maintained several inches of distance between them.

"You are a naïve fool! Do you honestly believe that every mission of assassination designated by your Hokage is a just one? Do you have any idea how many assassinations are performed for money, power, or jealousy? If I leave no survivors then pray tell how does everyone know of my exploits?" Scoffing at her he continued, "You know nothing of my morals, values, or ethics. You know nothing of me so do not presume to." Naruto turned away from Hinata feeling infuriated at her understanding of his character; he truly had no one to blame but himself. He'd set out to become someone different than who he had been in Konoha, apparently he'd succeeded. Turning back to look at her over his shoulder he felt the need to set her straight on one matter. "I have never killed an innocent man, woman or child if I could help it, nor have I accepted money for doing so when it was unavoidable."

Hinata was troubled with conflicting thoughts and emotions about this man before her. Her thoughts told her that he was a vicious killer who had probably abducted her for ransom or had harmed her sister for the same reasons. Her emotions began to override her logical reasoning in an evaluation of the way this man had rescued her from Gorou and Daichi, cared for her wounded shoulder then returned her to her family. Not to mention the fact that he had appeared to be shielding her from the repercussion of the explosion earlier in the hall. He'd obviously cared about what was wrong with her eyes upon entering the room and despite her hostility towards him he had not lashed out at her once. Hinata quickly realized she'd leaped to conclusions about this man based on a reputation he'd garnered, she knew better than anyone how easily a story could be embellished when passed from one person to another.

Stepping forward despite her poor ability to see him, she held out a hand as though to stop him. Speaking in a low shame filled voice, "I-I'm sorry, you are right I made some harsh assumptions about your character. If you are not going to harm me in any way, then may I ask why you've abducted me and what has been done with my sister?"

Naruto halted halfway out the door with his hand gripping the knob, taking a deep breath he attempted to diffuse his temper. He needed to understand that Hinata had been through a lot recently with two attacks upon her person and now with her sister involved it made sense that she'd be a bit hostile and untrusting.

He turned towards her, "Your sister is safe. In fact she may be on her way back to Konoha with your cousin and other clan members as an escort any minute. Now, I'm going to get you a change of clothes. I don't know how poor your vision is right now but you're covered in debris from the explosion and blood from your eyes, which have finally stopped bleeding. You may want to clean up, then we'll check the severity of the damage to your eyes and I will explain the situation to you as best I can."

Hinata nodded slowly, acknowledging that she would indeed like that. So far she was lost in trying to sort it all out on her own; she honestly couldn't guess why Ronin was in Sunagakure. She hoped that he was correct in his assumption that Hanabi was safe and on her way back to the ensured safety found within the walls of Konoha and their clan compound. She admittedly wasn't too concerned about her eyes, she knew through her training that the blurriness would eventually fade as she rested her eyes.

He left the room and quickly returned with what she assumed would be a change of clothes since at the moment it appeared to be a cloth shaped blur. She reached out hoping to keep him from invading her personal space, something that seemed to happen on a regular basis with this guy. He gripped her forearm with one hand and placed the ties to what felt like a sack in her outstretched hand with the other.

Naruto was about to leave the room again when he realized she might need some help removing the blood if her vision was poor. Thankful for the mask covering his face to hide his blush, he turned back to her and asked, "Do you need help getting cleaned up, the blood I mean… do you need help removing the blood from your face?" An image of her standing in the shower washing off flashed in his mind causing his body to harden he couldn't determine if more of his blood had moved to his face or to a lower part of his anatomy.

Hinata blushed at the thought of him helping her wash off and with a coy smile replied, "Thank you, but I think I'll manage on my own."

Naruto felt like he'd dodged a bullet with that one and he just managed to stop from reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Right, okay just call out if you do need help." _I have to get out of this room before I embarrass myself anymore or do something I know I'll regret later_.

As the door closed Hinata reached down to loosen the ties on the sack wondering whose clothes she'd be wearing this time, inside the sack were a set of shinobi pants, a camisole and a soft hooded jacket. She frowned in confusion as the material and size of the jacket felt the same as one of her jackets. _Did he take these clothes from my room? _Though she was no longer a shinobi she had always been most comfortable dressed as one and while within Sunagakure arranging the terms for her marriage she wasn't allowed to dress as she wished. _Father thinks it would be improper for me to appear as anything less than the high-born lady I am._ Well constructed dresses that preserve her modesty and kimonos were her only wardrobe choices when outside of her suite. So she was pleased that the clothes Ronin had chosen to give her would keep her comfortable. Now she just needed to make her way to the bathroom and into the shower without killing herself.

Naruto had been pacing the outer room of the suite attempting to sort out the situation. So far he knew that Hinata's life was at risk, she was getting married in five days, and he had to figure out how to keep her safe while not revealing his identity or sexually assaulting her. Needless to say his stress level was at an all time high. He heard the shower in the other room turn on and groaned at the image of her standing naked under the water as it sluiced down her body caressing her skin. Opening his eyes and shaking his head as though to dispel the image, he moved against the far wall of the suite to sit cross-legged on the floor. Before leaving Konoha he hadn't been known for his patience, but he'd since taught himself to find calm and patience in even the most trying of moments. He struggled to do the same now as he forced himself into a meditative state. He'd just managed to find his inner calm or coldness as Takeshi would label it, when he heard the water shut off and prepared for the conversation to come.

Feeling better, more revived and calm Hinata took a deep breath then squared her shoulders as she stepped out into the main room of the suite.

He looked up at the sound of her door opening, "How are your eyes?"

Thankfully her eyes had begun to recuperate as her vision was only slightly blurred around the edges now. She saw Ronin standing with his arms crossed over his chest, "They are better thank you, I am able to see with only a slight blur. I expect they'll continue to get better as time goes by." She then decided to dive right into her main concerns, "What are you doing in Suna?"

His eyes crinkled in what she had to guess were a smile, "Not going to beat around the bush are you?" Before she could speak he waved her comments away, "You might want to take a seat. Takeshi and I are here to protect you; your father requested our services as your personal guard."

Naruto chose not to tell her about the fact that they'd declined that request initially, it was a nuance that didn't require her attention.

"Okay," she urged him on.

Continuing he stated, "Currently there is a contract out on you and the collection of your eyes. Takeshi and I discovered when we were approached with the job of… handing over your eyes to someone who wishes to collect on the contract."

Hinata tensed at this information, "So which job are you truly here to perform, my protection or my death?"

He sighed heavily, "I understand your mistrust but I assure you neither myself nor Takeshi are here to harm you. Or your sister," he added as an afterthought. "I've moved you to this room to keep you close to your father during the preparation for your wedding."

Naruto was proud of himself for not breaking his teeth as he clenched them while making that last statement. "We are going to try keeping your exact location a secret from those who may be assisting in these attacks on you."

Hinata nodded understanding the reasoning behind that decision, "And my sister?"

"If someone is targeting you for your eyes and cannot reach you it is a logical assumption that your sister the only other available unsealed Hyuga would then become a target."

"You make an excellent point, thank you for your protection of me and my sister. Now what do we do?"

He was surprised at how well she taking everything. He remembered Hinata had been a calm and logical female before he'd left Konoha so he supposed her acceptance of the situation shouldn't be too surprising.

"Your father and the elder's council of your clan believe that the danger to you will cease once you are wed. So for now we keep you safe until then and try to figure out who has directed these last few attacks on you."

Realization dawned on her, "You want to use me as bait to lure out this mysterious person," she stated rather than questioned.

"There has always been a threat against you and any other unsealed member of your clan in a bid to gain the Byakugan, these sudden attacks on you are suspicious. The fact that someone is attempting to hire out for the ability to collect on the contract raises many red flags. I believe that is where we should focus our attention to ensure your safety even after you are wed. So yes I do intend to use you as bait, as you put it."

She nodded, "Alright, then you have my full cooperation."


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again, to all of my readers and any newcomers to this little story of mine. I must warn you all that this chapter is by far shorter than my last few, it is more of a filler chapter to get the story moving forward again. I have to admit this chapter was not coming to me very easily, probably why it's a short one, but I already have much planned for the next chapter just bear with me please. Roamer79 (my husband to those unaware *whisper* check out his two NaruHina stories My Own Peace and Kitsune Clan) became a writing machine this week and I've been busy working as his editor while trying to work through this chapter in my head, I hope everyone still enjoys it.

Thank you to everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites it warms my heart to see people enjoying my writing.

Now with that said I feel the need to post this disclaimer: I understand and respect that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. With that said if you do not like my story idea that's fine, I won't hold it against you if you tell me so. I truly appreciate reviews, as I can learn how to improve my writing through them, as well as hear if people like or don't like what I'm writing. However, please keep in mind that a fanfiction is the **author's story **written borrowing characters, and some environments, from a favorite anime with possibly a few OC's thrown in. Many people come here seeking out stories that tell what they would like to see happen within the anime and/or manga, some enjoy a totally fresh perspective on the characters. Readers please be understanding that not everything will always be cannon, the way an author writes a character is the way said author perceives the character or would like the character to behave to help a plot line flow. I also understand that an author cannot please everyone and the best thing an author can do is write for his or her self; and you know what, that's what I do. I can only hope that I manage to entertain a few people along the way as well.

Okay now enough of me, on to the story...

* * *

Hanabi Hyuga's eyes popped open, her kekkei genkai silently activated, as soon as she heard the door to the room close. Looking in the direction of the room door she saw no one, there was no sign of the man she knew had to be walking down the hall. _It must be a seal either on me or him to render the Byakugan useless, clever. _She had been prepared when the man had wrapped his forearm around her throat knowing that he'd either intended to apply a choke or blood hold to her. Clearly he'd meant to use a blood hold as the pressure he applied was to the carotid artery at the side of her neck rather than upon her larynx.

She had struggled slightly when the pressure had been applied but pretended to quickly succumb to keep herself from truly being rendered unconscious. Many openings for attack had been identified when the man was standing before her and even when he believed she was at his mercy. However, she had been taught to strike at the right time and she deemed attacking before gathering more information on the situation and her sister's location was not the right time.

Leaping from the bed she paced the room checking for anything that could provide more information. She remembered seeing a masked man behind Hinata after the explosion had thrown that man into her. _Could that have been Ronin? What is he doing here?_ Too many thoughts raced around in her head questions of whether the explosion was a distraction to abduct Hinata or if the man who had saved her sister was now a threat.

Going to every window in the room she tried opening those first wanting to allow enough time for the stranger to get far enough away before she attempted the door. To her displeasure none of the windows would open, dropping her arms in exasperation she turned a glare on the door then stomped over and tried to yank it open. Again the result was not satisfactory as the door held strong against all of her attempts to open it, just as the windows had done. Her attempts had started out simply with her pushing and or pulling on the windows and door. It didn't take long for her temper to flare as she began trying to bust out the windows by any means necessary only to move to the door and attempting the same. She'd even grown as desperate as to apply the few jutsus, other than the gentle fist, that she knew to the windows and door in hopes of creating a means of escape. _It has to be seals. It would just have to be fuinjutsu_, she thought frustrated as she was not skilled in the art of sealing.

Dropping down onto the couch in the main seating area of the suite, Hanabi felt fatigued as though all of her attempts had amounted to full day of training. _Rage burns bright and fast wearing a person down more quickly than physical exertion, _she remembered her father's warning as he'd admonished her for being so quick-tempered.

"Well, what now?" she asked the empty room unsure of what she should do. Quickly looking around as she tried to settle both her mind and roiling emotions she made a decision. _It's time to 'prep the ground', home court advantage counts for everything after all._ Hanabi rose and began another search for items that could aid in her preparations for any eventuality the next time someone entered the suite.

Entering the bathroom she glanced up at the shower with a wicked grin then yanked the shower rod off the wall. Leaving the bathroom she set the rod on the couch looking up she spied a six foot tall floor lamp that she moved closer to the door. Plugging the lamp in and setting it down she turned towards the small kitchenette of the suite, chewing her lower lip she wondered if it was stocked with dishes and cook ware.

She felt better knowing that she was as prepared as she could be after carefully placing her items in locations that would allow them to be of the most benefit to her. Now all that was left to do was sit and wait for someone to try coming through the door.

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga had watched his oldest daughter walk out of the meeting with her fiancé, clearly enraged but doing him proud as she gave no outward display of her inner turmoil. Turning back to Nezu Damasu, he quirked his head to the side, studying the young man before him who would soon become his daughter's husband. Upon first meeting this young man he had admired the stoicism he displayed, though as time passed he began to suspect the stoicism was due to a lack of feeling towards Hinata.

Unfortunately, this marriage was not something he could choose to back out of and still save face. The image presented by the Hyuga clan must always be above reproach, it simply would not do, if this wedding was to be cancelled. If it was, Nezu could claim they'd chosen not to go through with the ceremony to avoid revealing that Hinata had indeed lost her virginity. It would not matter if the clan claimed it'd been taken from her during her abduction and she'd been a victim. All anyone would see is that the heiress to the Hyuga clan was tarnished.

Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose taking a deep breath, he pretended to listen to the menial subject of conversation Nezu was carrying on about if only to himself.

Suddenly there was the sound of an explosion as the foundation of the building shook, activating his byakugan he turned to look toward the hall as he watched the chakra signatures of both daughters disappear. To say Hiashi Hyuga was shocked would be an understatement. He knew his daughters were not dead as their chakra signatures had been at healthy levels before vanishing. When a person is dying even a sudden death the chakra signatures appear as a dying flame dwindling down to nothing.

Opening the door to the meeting room with enough force to have it slam into the wall and bounce back, conveniently hitting Nezu as he followed behind, Hiashi entered the hallway calling for his nephew. He headed in the direction of the suite reserved for both of his daughters located in the East wing of the inn.

"The guards I posted between the meeting room and their suite have vanished." Neji Hyuga had quickly fallen in behind his uncle and was worried over his cousins, he too had witnessed them seemingly disappear.

In their concern they did not notice nor care that Nezu followed behind them at a more sedate pace.

Upon entering the East wing they quickly noted the area of the blast and the remains of two men, unconcerned with the dead they swept past to enter the suite where it was evident there had been some struggle. What weren't evident were the two Hyuga females or any clues as to where they disappeared to.

Neji and Hiashi surveyed the room while Nezu stood near the door a look of shock upon his face as he attempted to control his anger.

Another Hyuga branch member entered the room reporting that the guards had been located unconscious and stuffed in a hall closet back near the meeting room. Apparently the guards had been drugged somehow, and then moved.

Nezu made a decision upon viewing the room and stormed forward snarling, "What is this Hiashi, some elaborate scheme to get out of the wedding?"

Hiashi's head jerked up and his eyes narrowed upon Nezu, speaking slowly while gritting his back teeth, he responded to the asinine accusation. "Nezu-san even I would not go so far as to drug members of my own clan, destroy a public establishment risking harm to bystanders and potentially putting my daughters in danger if I did not wish for this wedding to proceed. I suggest you watch your tongue more closely before you make accusations you will regret."

Appearing as though Hiashi had struck him Nezu stepped back, "Are you threatening me Hiashi-sama?"

Hiashi turned his back on the foolish man, "I do not deal in threats Nezu-san." He then turned to continue surveying the room and making plans to have the inn and surrounding area searched in hopes of finding a sign as to his daughters' whereabouts.

With the attention of the Hyugas upon the room and making their plans, Nezu was able to slip out of the room easily. He'd done his part of playing the concerned fiancé, now he needed answers.

* * *

Takeshi strode down the North wing after leaving Hanabi Hyuga unconscious in the suite. Heading out a window to make his way to the East Wing, he knew that he would not find the head of the Hyuga clan still in the meeting room after the explosion. He had to remember that he was dressed as an ANBU of Suna so he had to act accordingly by appearing and disappearing through windows as he'd heard, from Naruto that real ANBU tend to do.

Quickly sprinting over the roof he re-entered through a window near the mouth of the East wing, he was surprised to see Hinata's fiancé storming away. Takeshi was an inquisitive individual and knowing that his best friend was attracted to this man's fiancé made him even more curious.

Following at a distance he watched as Nezu exited into a strategically placed garden heading for the back corner near a large tree. Staying by a window he watched, _this guy does not seem like the nature type, what the hell is he up to? _He was surprised and suspicious upon seeing Jun step out from behind the tree standing in the shadow of its limbs as Nezu appeared to be chastising him emphatically.

Deciding to relay this new information to Naruto later, Takeshi quickly walked away to find Hiashi Hyuga.

* * *

Standing just outside of his daughters' suite Hiashi was surprised to see an ANBU of Suna approaching him. Turning to the ANBU he prayed silently that this man had some information about the location of his daughters.

"Hiashi-sama," the man said with a slight bow, "May I speak with you privately?"

Hiashi nodded then gestured for the ANBU to follow him back to the meeting room. He entered the room allowing the ANBU to shut the door to the hall. However he was not expecting to turn around to find Ronin's partner standing before him. Eyes widening he was stopped by the man's upraised hand before he could begin demanding answers.

"I understand your concern and worry for your daughters, I am here to inform you both are safe and well. Ronin has changed his mind; the Hyuga heiress will receive his protection until the time of her wedding."

Hiashi felt relief rush over him upon hearing this, nodding quickly he asked, "When will my daughters be returned?"

"They won't," came the reply in a detached tone, "Your eldest daughter has now been attacked twice and it is only a matter of time before the target shifts to your youngest as well. For now they will stay where they are, we'll be in touch with you soon."

Ronin's partner re-secured the cloth covering for his ANBU disguise, Hiashi did not want to know how he'd come upon the uniform. As the man turned for the door he halted the man's progress.

"What about Hinata's wedding? It is in five days."

His head cocked slightly to the side the man's eyes squinted slightly, "That is not our concern, as I said we'll be in touch." He then turned leaving the room quickly.

Hiashi activated his kekkei genkai to track his movements and discover his daughter's location only to realize he could see nothing. _So that's how they did it, seals to block the byakugan._ His frustration mounting he rushed to the door yanking it open to find an empty hallway before him. Taking a deep sigh, he hoped these two men could be trusted with the lives of his daughters.

* * *

Takeshi had leapt out of another window and proceeded to re-enter the North wing, Geez all this running around is bad for my health, he thought. He refused to think of the worry he could clearly see in the Hyuga head's eyes, instead he worried over the sight of Nezu with Jun. What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?

He needed to share this information with Naruto.

* * *

**Ooh, now it's getting interesting. What surprises does Hanabi have for Takeshi? Why is Nezu talking to Jun? Next chapter will be up in a few days, promise.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again, oh my goodness the start of this chapter was something I'd been looking forward to ever since finishing chapter 6. So I hope that you all were looking forward to it too. **

**I must give a HUGE shout-out and thank you to Just Retribution for mentioning this story as well as Roamer79's in your author notes. We love your story. We were both extremely thrilled and flattered to see you mention us like that. **

**Again I thank everyone who reviews, follows and favorites this bit of my imagination. I also give thanks to those who follow or favorite me as an author, I appreciate that as well. **

* * *

Chapter 7

Hanabi had prepared the room for just about anything. The shower rod once collapsed fit perfectly in the door frame just at the bottom of the door. She'd removed the lamp shade from the floor lamp after placing it close enough, though not too close to the door. She had been pleased to find that the kitchen was indeed stocking with dishes, cookware, and even non-perishable items. The set of kitchen knives strategically hidden on her person would be used as a last resort.

She needed to maintain her distance from this man. He'd managed to block several juken strikes, so she knew he was faster than her. He had height on his side as he was quite a few inches taller than her five foot one inch stature. Judging from his build he had strength too. Thankfully her appropriated tools and their locations would help her overcome all of that, she hoped.

The statistics of her assailant meant nothing, for she knew that she could outthink him. After all she was a Hyuga. _That man will regret abducting me. I just hope I can find Hinata once I escape this room._ Pacing the room she chewed her thumbnail waiting rather impatiently for someone to attempt the door.

Takeshi headed back towards the North wing. Continuing past the suite Naruto and Hinata were in heading to the end of the wing. He decided to check on the younger Hyuga first. Not sure why, he felt compelled to make sure she was still in the room. He had the upmost faith in the seals Naruto had taught him, but that female seemed like the type capable of escaping the room none the less.

Halting outside the door he placed his palm against it releasing chakra at the same time. A seal was revealed and he quickly bit his thumb smearing some of his blood onto the seal. He watched as the seal appeared to glow before fading once again. Deciding to enter as silently as possible he slowly turned the door know and shoved against the door. Pausing when the door stopped after barely opening an inch he stared at the door as though it would reveal the reason behind this mystery.

Sighing he knew the girl had to be behind this. Instead of pulling the door closed to try again he chose to apply more force. Afraid Hanabi was on the other side of the door he tried not to be too forceful. He didn't want to hurt her, just open the damn door. Again the door stopped. Glancing down with a sigh he stepped back then slammed his shoulder into the door.

_Ouch! How the hell is she keeping this door closed?_

His third attempt to open the door only succeeded in bruising his shoulder. A more clever or patient man might have determined that if the little witch wanted the door to stay closed then he'd close and reseal it. At least that way he knew she wasn't getting out. But he needed to make sure she was actually in the room. If she'd found a way to escape she might have blocked the door to buy more time before her absence was discovered.

Rotating his shoulder to relieve the ache he stepped back then kicked the door in wincing at the noise and now broken door frame. Glancing down he saw what appeared to be a curtain rod jammed into the door frame. A frown upon his face he began to step over it and sensed movement coming at him fast.

_Is that a... frying pan!?_

He shifted his weight to the left crouching to avoid the pan trying to smash into his head. Instead the handle banged his previously unharmed shoulder. The new pain threw him slightly off balance. Before he could right himself or stand he felt a shock go through him as all of his muscles seemed to cramp up at once. The pain of his muscles seizing was indescribable. He couldn't move except to raise his eyes finding Hanabi standing several feet away holding a metal rod against him. He barely noticed the floor rising up to meet him losing consciousness before he impacted with the tile in the foyer of the suite.

"Wow, that was easier than I thought," she noted.

Hanabi tossed the broken lamp down to the floor, surprised that she hadn't needed the flour after all. She hadn't needed the knives either, though she decided to keep those just in case. The curtain rod had been needed to make him pause at the door, giving her time to catch him by surprise. Which she had, she'd flung the frying pan end over end praying it would hit him.

_It would serve him right for abducting me._

But when he'd ducked she'd been prepared for that scenario too, quickly jabbing the bulb of the plugged in floor lamp into his chest. It had been just enough voltage to cause his muscles to seize and render him unconscious.

Stepping gingerly around his prone body she peeked out the door in case he had back-up. Seeing no one else in the hall she walked in the direction she believed he'd carried her from. Trying to remember how far he'd carried her so she could guess which room her sister was in. Stopping in front of a door she activated her byakugan, but she saw no one in the room. It was possible the same seal the man was using could be used by Ronin or even be placed upon Hinata. She turned her head to survey the other rooms noting that all of them in this wing appeared empty. With a sigh she slipped one of her acquired knives from the sleeve of her shirt and lightly scratched a tiny 'X' on the wall next to the door. Praying she'd guessed right she ran to the end of the wing, seeking her father or any other member of her family.

* * *

"Alright then you have my full cooperation."

Naruto was taken aback with that one simple sentence. He hadn't expected her to concede so easily, as far as she was concerned he was a stranger. Needless to say he was suspicious of her motives.

She'd taken a seat on the edge of a couch in the main sitting area of the suite while he'd explained the situation to her. Gazing up at him absolutely resolute to cooperating, she waited for him to say something more. Though she had to admit the silence wasn't uncomfortable just slightly awkward. As his gaze seemed to stray off, she wondered what could have distracted him.

Naruto stood silently pondering the woman before him. Comparing her to the girl he'd known, naturally there were similarities but he could see she'd gained some confidence over the years.

* * *

Eight and a Half Years Ago

(On a random day)

Naruto decided to get in some extra training. He had awoken earlier than usual. The sun was barely providing any light as he made his way to one of the many training grounds within the village. Stumbling out of the trees it took some time for him to realize that the training ground was already occupied.

Blinking his eyes open as though he had only just woken up he halted mid-step, his jaw falling open. There standing at the top of a slightly inclining hill was Hinata Hyuga. He watched as she moved gracefully through what he could only guess were the stances of her family's renowned fighting technique. He wanted to get a closer look as he was enthralled by the sight of the sun's rise into the sky highlighting the fluidity of her movements. Stepping lightly into the tree line to his left he circled around the field to get a closer view, never taking his eyes off the girl for very long.

_Why am I hiding like this? It's just Hinata_. He couldn't understand why he felt the urge to observe his comrade in secrecy. He only knew that some unnamed desire had him acting like some weirdo stalker. Perhaps because anytime he approached Hinata she seemed so odd, often passing out. How does she complete missions while randomly fainting all the time?

He took advantage of the fact that she was unaware of his presence, silently thanking Kami that she wasn't using her kekkei genkai during this training. Though the sun was barely lighting the sky he could tell from Hinata's haggard appearance that she had been at this training session for a while.

Dragging his eyes away from the enchanting image she presented in the morning light he surveyed the training ground. He found shallow craters where she'd performed her family's defensive palm rotation, Kaiten. There was a wooden training dummy further away that appeared to have taken quite a bit of damage. This puzzled him as he knew the gentle fist fighting technique wasn't about force but precision to hit specific points within one's chakra network. He wondered if she was trying a different fighting style, developing a new jutsu or if something was bothering her.

Hearing a feminine gasp his gaze quickly returned to Hinata. Only to wince in embarrassment, his face flushing as he realized she had finally decided to use her byakugan. She was now looking right at him hiding amongst the trees.

Her face pinched slightly in confusion as her own cheeks flamed pink. "Na-Naruto-kun?" she spoke so quietly that he only knew she'd called his name by reading her lips.

Well the jig is up. He walked out of the trees, rubbing the back of his head with a big grin on his face to hide his own embarrassment.

"Hi, Hinata. Sorry, I didn't mean to spy, I was actually coming to do some early training myself. But I didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh," Hinata gushed looking down and away bringing a closed fist to her mouth. "Th-that's alright, Na-Naruto-kun."

Naruto paid little attention to her shyness or discomfort. He was too distracted by the glow surrounding her as the sun rose over the tree line behind her. _Wow, Hinata looks kind of... beautiful like this._ It felt so weird for him to think such a thing about anyone other than his Sakura-chan, but he could think of no other word to describe the image before him.

Hinata felt her face heat even more wondering why Naruto was just staring at her. "W-well I sh-should probably get back to the compound, b-bye Naruto-kun." With her head down she began to move past him only to be stopped when his hand lightly grazed her arm. Looking up with curiosity, fear and nervousness she asked, "Y-yes, Naruto-kun?"

A big beaming smile upon his face Naruto felt he just had to tell her, "Hinata I have to say just watching you train, you were really impressive. It's clear all this training is paying off." His smile fading to a look of concern he cautioned, "But I think you shouldn't be out here alone before the sun is up, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

He cringed slightly after saying that knowing that if he'd made that 'typically male' comment to one of the more independent kunoichi like Sakura or Ino he'd regret it. But Hinata's face turned a bright red as she swayed a little on her feet. A look of concern crossed his face, "Hinata, are you okay?"

Hinata felt all the blood in her body relocate to her face as Naruto expressed concern for her wellbeing. She even began to feel dizzy as the edges of her vision went a bit blurry. As he asked if she was okay, Hinata forced her lungs to drag in necessary oxygen. _Come on Hinata, at least attempt to act normal. He's right in front of you don't blow it again by passing out._

Sparing him a weak smile she responded, "I-I'm fine Naruto-kun, th-thank you for your concern."

"No problem, Hinata," Naruto responded with his usual level of enthusiasm.

She turned once again to leave but something was bothering Naruto, so he stopped her once again. It appeared Hinata had been out here for a long time before the sun began to rise, so he felt the friendly thing to do was make sure there wasn't anything bothering her.

"Hey Hinata, did something upset you, sending you out here so late last night? You can talk to me about it, if you want." He turned his head down feeling awkward after offering to lend his ear to her troubles.

Hinata felt stunned, perhaps her sweet Naruto-kun wasn't quite as oblivious as everyone assumed. She actually felt tempted to unload the burden weighing her mind upon his shoulders. Naruto's entire personality seemed to scream that he could and would take on any challenge. It would be wonderful to have him there to help with her challenges, but she knew he had plenty of his own worries.

"I j-just couldn't sleep." She smiled at Naruto.

"Oh, okay. Hinata if you want to train late at night again I won't mind coming with you, so feel free to ask okay?" Naruto spared the young girl another grin.

_H-he's worried about me. Oh someone pinch me now. No don't! I refuse to wake up if this is all some wonderful fantasy. _

Again feeling on the verge of fainting Hinata could only hide a smile behind her hand. "Okay Naruto-kun."

Before she could say anymore Ko rushed from the trees, "There you are Hinata-sama! I've been searching for you for hours, please you must return to the compound with me. Your father is concerned over your absence." The young man spoke in a breathless rush trying to instill urgency while catching his breath.

"Hai, Ko-san," Hinata turned back to Naruto, "Th-thank you again Na-Naruto-kun for your concern, but I must go now. I bid you well in your own training."

She quickly approached Ko and the two leapt into the trees to presumably return to Hyuga compound. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a little at the softness of her voice and the formality she displayed once Ko had arrived.

_I really hope she doesn't keep coming out here to train so late by herself._ He thought ruefully.

* * *

Present

Naruto hadn't thought of that brief moment in all these years. Honestly the memory had taken him by surprise. She really had been beautiful that morning with the orange and pink rays of dawn gently caressing her skin. _Geez, now I sound like a woman or one of Ero-sennin's trashy novels._

Looking back on it now he was aware of just how shy and awkward Hinata had been. As a grown man with some experience he realized now the possible reasons behind her constantly flushing face, the stutter and fainting. He smiled slightly behind his mask, before his focus was dragged back to the present by the woman before him.

Finally deciding to break the ever-increasing tension Hinata glanced away slightly. "So what do we do now?"

So many thoughts, memories and questions had been rolling through his mind at that moment. He mentally shook himself before crossing his arms over his chest. Looking out the window at the fading light of day he responded, "Well, now we can get you something to eat I suppose."

Hinata tilted her head to the side looking at him like he'd grown a second head, "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting you to say."

She watched his eyes squint slightly in what appeared to be a smile.

"What can I say? I tend to be a bit unpredictable."

His comment, though innocent, caused a frown to appear upon her face for a half second before she decided to follow his example.

Jumping to her feet she attempted to display some enthusiasm. "Alright, what does a famed assassin feed an abducted person he's protecting?"

He snorted in amusement shaking his head slightly he turned, heading towards the kitchenette in the suite. "That depends on what is in the kitchen."

Scrunching her nose she paused following him, "Oh these things usually aren't stocked with supplies until right before a guest arrives. So there probably isn't anything available."

He merely looked her way quirking an eyebrow before he proceeded to open the refrigerator clearly displaying its many contents.

Hinata's eyes bulged, "Wha? How did you get so much food in here?"

Ronin shrugged while holding the refrigerator door open, "We assassins have our ways. So what will it be?"

Her stomach chose that moment to growl slightly causing her face to flush an attractive light pink. Her eyes seemed to glance everywhere but at him as he couldn't help but chuckle over her embarrassment.

Hinata's eyes finally snapped to him as he let out a chuckle, it was odd to see a man who appeared so cold and distant chuckling.

However, before either one could comment further they heard a distant boom. Both turned towards the door as Ronin quickly closed the refrigerator then approached her. Gripping her upper arm lightly he ushered her back towards the bedroom.

"I need you to go in the bathroom, get in the tub and stay down."

Halting halfway across the sitting room Hinata felt outraged, "What!? No, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."

"Yeah and we've seen the evidence of that with your last abduction, hmm?"

"I was drugged while sleeping. I wasn't exactly given the chance to fight back."

Giving her a look of disbelief he spoke with an acerbic tone, "Really, are you making excuses now? Sleeping is one of the worst things you can do when being hunted."

"Well, excuse me mister trained assassin but I wasn't aware I was being hunted."

Ronin continued tugging on her arm in an effort to at least get her into the bedroom for cover. "Look, be a sweetie. Get in there before someone barges in here to kill us both." He gave a final hard tug on her arm sending her off balance into the room before he slammed the door shut in her face. Acting quickly he placed a seal upon it to keep her in as he heard the sound of a light scratching outside the door.

He took a stance bracing his feet apart, several feet away and to the right of the door. He waited for someone to barge in…and waited.

Hinata tried everything she could think of to open the bedroom door. She finally resigned herself to simply banging on it and shouting vulgar insults at him.

While Naruto stood waiting, he felt some amusement listening to Hinata insult him. _When did the soft-spoken, shy girl learn to talk like that?_

After minutes, that seemed like hours of waiting for an attack, the doorknob began to turn. As it swung open he rushed forward, unsheathing his ninjato prepared to kill. He stopped short at the sight of Takeshi stumbling into the room looking severely disheveled. His friend stood before him with the head wrap of a Sungakure ANBU askew upon his head. The cloth that was supposed to hide his face was missing. Naruto's voice became a low rumble as he eyed Takeshi's appearance, "What happened?"

Takeshi hadn't even been surprised or worried upon seeing Naruto rush him, it was expected. He'd forgotten to knock, but who could blame him with mini seizures still occurring throughout his body. All thanks to the not so nice electrical shock that damn Hyuga had given him.

"What do you think happened? The little brat arranged a welcome back party for me after I reported to her father. She threw a frying pan at me, a frying pan! Then she electrocuted me with a floor lamp, a freaking floor lamp!"

Naruto tried to contain his amusement over Takeshi's situation but he just couldn't as a full-bellied laugh seemed to burst out of him. He received death glares from a hunched over Takeshi as he leaned on the door frame.

"Oh you think that's funny well here's one you'll find hilarious, she escaped!"

Naruto's laughter froze in his throat, "What!?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. She escaped."

Naruto stepped out into the hall checking the walls around the doorframe as something occurred to him. Storming back into the room he began collecting the packs he'd prepared for himself and Hinata. "She marked the room, we have to leave."

Looking around with his hands out to his sides Takeshi was incredulous, "And where do we go? This is where we always hole up while in this village. Unless you got another hide-out somewhere that I've been unaware of all these years, we have nowhere to go."

Shooting daggers at his young friend Naruto chose not to respond. He knew where they were going he just didn't want to go there. It would move them further away from the Hyuga clan and risk exposure during the transport.

Hanabi was sure to report their location to Hiashi. While the man may be on their side Naruto wasn't going to take any chances. All of the attacks on Hinata had been too convenient, too easy, there had to be someone helping her assailants.

He hated leaving the room; it was one of his favorite places to unwind while in Suna. No one ever expected Ronin to be hiding in a high-priced suite of the Hoshi Inn. Gaara had thought of it. He kept the room rented and stocked with food so Naruto could stay any time he needed to. Now he hated the thought of contacting Gaara to tell him this location was exposed and therefore could never be used again.

Unsealing the bedroom door he swung it open, but stood back in case Hinata decided to take a page from Hanabi's book and go on the offensive. She stood there in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest. He tried to ignore the way it pushed her breasts up, drawing attention to that part of her body.

"Time to go Hyuga-hime," he turned away from her expecting she'd follow. He was irritated with the way the situation had crumbled around him and was taking it out on her. One could almost say they'd been getting along before. He hated to admit that he'd begun to feel a connection with her, one that reminded him of who he used to be. It was something he couldn't allow with good reason.

Halting he realized she still stood in the middle of the room, she hadn't budged one bit.

"We're leaving! Move it!"

"Yeah, I know what's going on. I can hear you know. But that's no reason for you to turn into an asshole."

He was a bit taken aback, no one ever argued with him except for Takeshi. While he was impressed and mildly amused by her tenacity, they really didn't have time for this. Rather than devote the time to argue, apologize or anything else she expected. He shifted the two small packs to one hand and walked up to her offering a black piece of cloth.

Only Hinata's eyes lowered to the piece of cloth he held out to her. "What is that?"

He wondered if she could fill that simple inquiry with any more disdain. "It's a mask. We can't risk anyone recognizing you while we're escaping." His eyes roamed over her from head to toe taking in her appearance. "You should probably pull your hair up too; and if you can manage it, a henge on your eyes."

His manner was so abrupt that Hinata found herself taking the mask from him before she prepared to argue again. Ronin cut her off with a sharp hand gesture, "You said I'd have your full cooperation, were you lying? If not prove it now, your hesitation is risking your own life."

Taking a deep calming breath she slipped the mask on over her head. She noted that it was exactly like his covering her face from the bridge of her nose down. Using a piece of ribbon he tore from the comforter on the bed she secured her hair into a ponytail. She glanced at him waiting for his approval. He gave a sharp nod then lightly gripped her upper arm again to guide her into the sitting room. She was really becoming irritated with his high-handed methods. Typically decorum would dictate that she simply oblige him. This was not one of those situations. She chose to oblige him anyway as she understood the urgency of escaping the room. But once they were settled somewhere else, she would no longer tolerate his manner.

They crossed the sitting room to Ronin's friend as he sat slumped against the bar that separated the kitchenette from the sitting room. _He definitely looks a bit worse for wear. Wow Hanabi did a great job on him._ She felt a rush of pride that her little sister had knocked this arrogant young man down a peg. _Now if only I could do the same to his friend_…

Pausing mid-thought she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of one of the windows. Earlier when Ronin had produced clothes for her, she had assumed they were her own. They had fit just right and felt as though they were made of the same material. But as her eyesight had improved she realized that while the cut and the fabric were similar the color was definitely not.

The clothes he'd given her were dark black. Looking at her reflection in them with a mask covering her face and her hair pulled up for a change, she truly didn't recognize herself. Of course that was the point, to avoid being recognized but the differences were astounding. At least until she actually saw her eyes, they were a dead giveaway to her identity. Closing them she used the necessary hand seal to perform the transformation jutsu, but only on her eyes. When she opened them again to look upon her reflection her eyes were now a light blue. She scrunched her face slightly noticing that with the mask on all one could see was the area between her eyebrows becoming very wrinkly. _Not an attractive look for me._

Turning away from the window she looked to the two assassins, "Well?" She held her arms loosely out to her sides while waiting for some response.

Ronin's gaze traveled over her before he turned away completely to close the still open door of the suite. She watched him move towards the window on the opposite end of the sitting room before she angled herself so both men were within her periphery.

Takeshi was the only one to voice an opinion, "Not bad you could almost pass as one of us."

Scoffing at him, "I do not take that as a compliment."

"Enough, let's get out of here," Ronin growled while standing before the open window.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Ah Zetsu, you certainly took your time in returning," the man awaiting his return stood leaning against a table his arms and feet crossed.

Zetsu had only just phased through the floor of the cave they'd deemed their base of operations. He long since stopped questioning how the man before him could sense his approach. Lowering his head in a nod of respect towards the man wearing the orange mask with a swirl upon it, he stepped further into the room. Gazing into the sole red eye revealed by the mask he reported his findings.

Tobi appeared as a statue while listening to the information his subordinate had gained on their target.

"Very good, Zetsu. Where is Ronin now?"

"Suna," the white half of Zetsu responded.

"Interesting, so he intends to protect the Hyuga?"

"It would appear so, though the motive behind such action is suspicious. He has cared little for human life other than his partner, why would he care about the female?" the black half of Zetsu spoke.

Tobi smiled evilly behind his mask, "I have my suspicions. What of your other task? Have you learned anything on the whereabouts of the Jinchuriki?"

Clearing his throat roughly in nervousness the white half of Zetsu responded, "No, I have not. His disappearance was flawlessly executed as even I cannot find him."

Zetsu was surprised to hear a low chuckle coming from Tobi. Cocking his head to the side slightly the black half of Zetsu quickly came to a realization. "You believe Ronin is the jinchuriki, don't you?"

Tobi gave applauded Zetsu mockingly, "Very good, you've finally caught on. I wondered how long it would take you. Yes, I have my suspicions that he has merely taken on the identity of Ronin."

The black half of Zetsu was curious, "What makes you so suspicious?"

Tobi's eye narrowed as his tone became sardonic, "Hmm, let's see, Naruto Uzumaki disappeared from his village at the age of thirteen. Then we begin to hear rumblings of a masked assassin of young age with blonde hair and blue eyes. This assassin appears to be near the age the jinchuriki would be, not to mention the fact that all of his jutsus possess a power unlike any other. Oh let's not forget the fact that all of his targets have been either A or S-ranked and none have escaped him, a feat one shouldn't bat an eye at."

"Do you believe Konoha created the identity of Ronin to keep him hidden while still getting missions completed?"

"That I cannot say though it would be a bold move on the part of Tsunade, would it not? If that is not the case then the reasons for the identity shift are rather confusing."

White Zetsu was still confused, "But why? Why would he run from his village only to create a more renowned identity for himself?"

Tobi shrugged, "It matters not to me. We need to determine if my suspicions are accurate. You will return and continue to watch him."

"And if he is not the jinchuriki?"

"Then we recruit him, either way is advantageous to our goals. If he is not the jinchuriki then we will put him to use in locating the one we seek, as well as the others."

Zetsu nodded, "Very well." He phased through the floor to carry out Tobi's instructions.

Tobi stood there contemplating the possible scenarios if Ronin turned out to be the missing host of the nine-tailed beast and if he was not. Either way plans would need to be made to deal with the man. Perhaps the Hyuga would become useful after all.

* * *

Hanabi had been rushing to locate her father when she'd rounded a corner and slammed into someone. Reacting instinctively she'd stepped back into a fighting stance, slipping her hand into her sleeve to grip the handle of a kitchen knife she'd procured. Halting her attack when she realized the person she'd run into was Hinata's fiancé. Releasing her grip on the knife and straightening to stand, she chose not to waste any time mincing words.

She chose to ignore the look of surprise followed by something she couldn't quite name as they flashed quickly across his face.

"Nezu, where is my father? I think I know where Hinata is."

His face finally seemed to have settled on the usual aloofness she'd become familiar with, "Hanabi-san, we thought the worst. Are you alright?"

Waving his concern aside, "There is no time, where is my father?"

She started to move past him, not noticing how his jaw clenched or the look of hatred that flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, of course. Time is of the essence. Last I saw him he was in the suite you shared with Hinata-chan."

Hanabi gave a sharp nod before rushing towards the suite located in another wing of the inn.

Hearing the dulcet tones of her father speaking to Neji she slowed to a fast walk. Approaching as rapidly as possible she spotted him standing just outside of the meeting room reserved for the Hyuga clan.

Hiashi turned, his eyes wide with shock at the sight of his youngest daughter rushing towards him. He approached her anxious to assure himself that she was alright. Gripping both her forearms he demanded she tell him everything that had occurred.

The retelling of events took little time since Hanabi boiled it all down to only the most important details. At least the ones she thought most important.

Hiashi needed to explain the true situation to his youngest daughter. It was clear she didn't have all of the details and believed Ronin to be an enemy. "Come," he said ushering her to his suite so he could fill her in on the information she lacked.

Hanabi jerked away from her father, "Otosan, did you not hear me?"

Hiashi shook his head, "There is more to this than you know, musume." He continued towards his suite leaving a confused Hanabi to stand in the hall with her mouth agape.

She could not understand why he seemed so unconcerned. _What could he possibly have to tell me more important than locating Hinata right away?_

Hanabi then made a choice. "No!" she snarled before spinning on her heel and racing back to the room she'd marked.

Hiashi turned in utter shock at his daughter's vehement refusal. As she raced off he did the only thing he could think of, "Follow her," he ordered his nephew.

He rushed behind his cousin not hoping to stop her but to assist in any way he could. Despite knowing Ronin meant Hinata no harm, Neji was still uncomfortable with the turn of events. He would feel better if she was placed under his direct protection, then he would not leave her side. Watching Hanabi turn a corner he thought, _I won't leave either of them. _

He watched Hanabi come to an abrupt halt in front of one of the suite doors in the North wing. _So close? They'd been so close and we have men searching the entire village._

Five Minutes Earlier

Naruto's gaze traveled over her, he felt bereft at the sight of the light blue eyes replacing pale lavender tinged ones. Seeing her in the all black outfit caused a clenching in his stomach. He felt himself harden with the memory of the glimpses of her naked body he'd seen at the stream and while bandaging her shoulder. The fact that the outfit completely covered her body did little to dissuade his body's reaction. It only made him more tempted to watch her peel each layer away.

Shaking his head forcing himself to focus on the objective, he turned away completely to close the still open door of the suite. Moving towards the window on the opposite end of the sitting room, he noted the way she angled herself so both he and Takeshi were within her periphery. The corner of his mouth twitched in a desire to smile with pride at the training clearly ingrained in her. It was a desire he suppressed immediately.

Takeshi of course had an opinion to share, "Not bad you could almost pass as one of us."

Naruto could hear the exhaustion in his friend's voice and knew they didn't have long before it caught up to him. They needed to move fast before everything went to 'shit' around them.

On the edge of his attention he heard Hinata scoff at Takeshi.

"I do not take that as a compliment."

"Enough, let's get out of here," he growled interrupting the retort he knew his friend would have.

Standing before the open window he gestured for both of them to precede him out of it. He held up his hand stopping Hinata when she approached first. Indicating with a nod that he wanted a weary Takeshi to exit first to survey the area, he watched as she closed her eyes for a second before opening them with a nod.

Takeshi lumbered out of the window, luckily they were on the ground level, and went to scout ahead. Naruto waited to see the hand signal for all clear before gesturing for Hinata to follow. He was surprised at how quiet she was being now. Though he had to admit everything about her surprised him now. He felt as though he stood upon uneven ground and couldn't quite foot a stable footing in her presence.

He watched her go through the window, crouching low once outside and activating her Byakugan to scan for others in the area. He felt the need to smack his forehead for not requesting that of her before sending Takeshi out the window. The seals placed on all of them would prevent her from seeing their chakra signatures and she would know if anyone else but her sister were approaching. He was so used to relying on only his and Takeshi's abilities that he'd forgotten to consider hers. She released her kekkei genkai and nodded to him indicating an all clear as well before moving to catch up to Takeshi. _She did that as if we were a team, with no qualms about working together._

Forcibly rousing himself from his thoughts he scanned the room, making sure they left no trace of their presence. Moving into the bedroom then the bathroom he found her discarded clothes, neatly folded resting on the counter. Scooping them up he stuffed them into his pack, before moving back to the window in the sitting room. Jumping nimbly out of it, he quickly caught up to the other two and took over the lead position. He glanced to his left and knew he needed to send a message covering his ass for where they were going.

Hinata had felt argumentative while in the suite, not a feeling she was accustomed to. _Well, not one I give free rein to._ She was shocked that she'd stood her ground in such a way. Being argumentative internally was nothing new to her, but voicing them was. Too many years of decorum and civility had been instilled into her to allow such thoughts to be vocalized, normally. It appeared as though all of those years were being swept away in light of present situation.

She'd grown quiet once she realized her snarky attitude was not going to help the situation. She needed to trust these two men, as hard as that may be to do, but she also needed to work with them. Admittedly she'd felt a bit insulted that he hadn't asked her to scout the area, but she shrugged it off and proceeded to do so anyway. She released the henge on her eyes so she could focus her chakra into using them. The widening of his eyes as he realized what she was doing was satisfying. She'd silently told him that she was capable of being helpful in this endeavor to remain hidden.

As they ran away from the Hoshi inn, she looked to her left surprised to see how close the spherical shaped building where the Kazekage resided was. Not a hard feat for any location within the village as the Kazekage tower was located at the center of it. Though she noted they did appear to be heading in its direction. She knew her father would be bothering Gaara-sama soon to aid in the search for her. She felt sorry that she couldn't alleviate their worry and trouble in some way.

They slunk around buildings, hiding in the shadows to traverse the village. As they passed close to the tower, she used her eyes to tell them when it was clear to move. The henge to her eyes would have to remain unused. Thankfully it wouldn't matter as they were moving in the full dark of night. It would be near impossible for anyone to notice her eyes, not to mention the fact that they made sure to avoid people during their trek.

It wasn't long before Ronin signaled for them to wait against the wall of a home while he ran ahead out of sight. She watched Takeshi lean on the wall for support as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes breathing heavily while they waited. He'd been lagging behind her and Ronin as he took the rear guard position. Clearly her sister had taken a lot out of him in her attempt to escape. Hinata begrudgingly felt sorry for him as she worried if he'd be alright.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Ronin reappeared with his eyes scrunched in concern at the sight of his partner. Taking one of Takeshi's arms he threw it over his shoulders grabbing him around the waist he allowing hi partner to lean on him. Hinata was surprised that Takeshi didn't argue with Ronin, proof that he wasn't in the best shape. _I guess getting your ass handed to you through electric shock will do that to a person. _She followed as Ronin led the way around to the back of a large home and gestured to…walk through the large wall looming in front of them.

She halted immediately and turned a look of obvious confusion on him. He silently tapped his temple near his right eye. She activated the Byakugan and studied the wall again. Smiling under her own mask she realized the wall was an optical illusion. There were two walls before her an outer and an inner wall; she faced an opening in the outer wall. The common observer would believe it was solid with the way it was made, while those in the know could simply step through the outer wall and proceed by heading left or right along the inner wall. It was sheer genius.

She turned her head slightly towards Ronin and nodded before watching his hand signal to head to the right once she passed through the opening. Hinata was impressed at the thought that went into creating the hidden in plain sight entrance, before finding herself in an open yard within the walls. It was arranged in what one would consider desert landscaping she had supposed. The center of the yard was a large circle of hard packed sand. The rest of the yard was comprised of loose gravel and plants that thrived in the desert like cactus.

Hearing a grunt she turned to see that Takeshi was completely unconscious and Ronin had lifted him across his shoulders. Stepping forward she raised her left hand in an offer of assistance choosing to remain silent until he signified it was safe to speak.

Naruto shook his head declining her assistance. Traversing the village to get here hadn't been as difficult as he'd expected. She'd been silent and had assisted rather than hindering. Despite leading the way, he'd kept a close watch on both her and Takeshi. He'd observed that her speed and flexibility weren't lacking since she'd ceased acting as a Konoha shinobi. Of course he saw the evidence of her gracefulness as well, something she'd always possessed. It seemed to be an innate trait of hers, one that made her appear all the more gentle. The thought of the shy and gentle natured Hinata he remembered caused a surge of protectiveness. While the image of the confident and beautiful woman she'd become caused a stirring of some indefinable feelings with no small amount of desire mixed in. Halting his thoughts before they became distracting, as he always did lately, he gestured for her to follow him inside.

Entering through a rear door they found themselves inside a large sitting room that seemed to double as a study. Hinata was in awe of the interior of the home. Everything within the sitting room screamed high quality and comfort. There were several large couches that had deep and plush seating cushions. The floor seemed to mimic the 'desert garden', as she'd termed it, the center of the room where the couches sat was covered in thick carpeting. The rest of the room was dark hardwood flooring that flowed seamlessly into the kitchen only separated by a bar.

She jumped a little as she finished admiring the room to notice that Ronin had left it, while carrying Takeshi, without making a sound. Moving through the room she attempted to locate him and found a hallway just as he exited a bedroom. He didn't see her as he stopped in the hall after closing the door and raised his hands to run them over his face. Hinata froze as she watched the mask get shoved down below his jaw by the heels of his hands. Her heart race increased and she felt as though she stood at the edge of a cliff waiting for the slightest movement that would send her free-falling.

Suddenly he stiffened with his hands still on his face and turned his head slightly noting her presence through his spread fingers. Before she could say anything he vanished and a small puff of smoke was in his place. _He used a shunshin just to keep me from seeing his face._ She inhaled slowly attempting to slow her heart rate as it had stopped altogether before attempted to burst from her chest at thought of seeing the face behind the mask. Her shoulders drooping she turned to head back towards the sitting room.

Mentally berating himself over the near miss, Naruto marched into the kitchen to find something for them to eat. _I can't believe I nearly let her see my face. What the hell was I thinking?_ But he knew that he hadn't been thinking at all. If Takeshi had been awake he would've made one of those rare insightful comments of his, claiming that perhaps subconsciously Naruto really did want her to know who he was. He paused in the process of gathering ingredients to ask himself if that was truly the case.

He got angry knowing such a thing was impossible even if he did wish it. As Naruto he was a missing-nin wanted by his village, as Ronin he was a wanted assassin in every village with a hefty bounty on his head. _It won't do any good for her to get close to me as either identity._ The thought of Hinata never knowing who he was beneath the mask sent a wave of anger and despair through him. Shaking his head he watched a flustered Hinata enter the kitchen.

Hinata felt a blush building in her cheeks, as she entered the kitchen. She felt embarrassed over her reaction to the possibility of seeing his face and couldn't believe she felt that way. _Thank Kami I'm still wearing the mask. Maybe I'll hold onto it. _

She had to admit she was astounded that she could blush or feel such an emotion as she did at the thought of seeing him. The only person who'd ever made her respond in such a way was Naruto and no one had any idea where he was or if he was alive.

These feelings weren't the same as what she'd felt at the tender age of thirteen. No those feelings had been like the gentle fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. These feelings were a heated clenching of her stomach, a furious pounding of her heart. She flushed even more as she realized these new feelings were a sense of desire that came with the maturity of her age. She'd never shown interest in anyone other than Naruto even over the last eight years that he'd been missing no one had caught her eye. She couldn't help but wonder now, why a masked stranger was invoking such a reaction. It was troubling to her; she'd believed that her crush on Naruto had developed into stronger feelings as she'd matured. Now she doubted herself, wondering just how true those feelings were if a stranger was able to invoke something stronger.

She heard him release an aggravated sigh that set off an instant anger inside of her, as she entered the kitchen. _What does he have to be aggravated about? I didn't ask him to protect me; I certainly didn't ask to be placed in these circumstances._ With her defenses stored up by her anger Hinata took a seat on a stool at the bar.

She noticed he'd removed his jacket and was now wearing a sleeveless black shirt that seemed molded to his upper body. This did not help her mood as she became angry for appreciating the defined sight of his broad shoulders that tapered down to a muscular torso.

Taking a deep breath she attempted to be the peacekeeper her teammates had always teased her for being. He had pulled food out of the refrigerator so she thought that was a safe topic of conversation.

"You're going to cook?"

It wasn't her most intelligent attempt at conversation as it was more than obvious he intended to prepare food. She felt like mentally slapping herself.

He glanced up at her, with those cold blue eyes. "Even an assassin has to eat." His retort was abrupt and left little room for further conversation as he began to chop vegetables.

She wished there was a magic button that could bring back the easy banter they'd begun to share at the inn. Making another attempt she asked about his partner.

"So how is your friend? Did Hanabi really do that much damage in her escape attempt?"

Halting mid-slice on a head of lettuce he turned flat, emotionless eyes on her. "Thanks to rescuing you the first time; and all the traveling we've done to rescue you again, he hasn't slept in nearly forty eight hours. I'd say he deserves a nap, wouldn't you?"

Naruto chose not to admit that part of the reason Takeshi hadn't rested was due to the drawn out sparring matched he'd forced him to partake in. He knew his friend had a high level of endurance and could put in a good effort at keeping up with him. But Takeshi wasn't a jinchuriki and could only last so long before his body finally shut down. Clearly the young Hyuga's escape attempt was the last push his body needed to succumb to exhaustion.

"Fine." she said.

He glanced up at Hinata as she forcibly stood from the stool causing it to scrape across the hardwood floor as it slid backwards. He barely managed to stifle a wince over how he'd explain any damage to this house.

The anger and frustration had been evident in her voice before she'd stood. He was surprised that she didn't stomp through the living room. But no, she appeared to calmly and gracefully stroll through the back door into the yard. His jaw clenched as he felt torn between wanting to apologize for his behavior and wanting to keep a cold detachment between them. He never questioned his decision to leave the village or become Ronin, and now he found himself wishing things could be different. A fact that only succeeded in making him more frustrated.

One Hour Later

Gaara was leaving the Hoshi inn after a meeting with the head of the Hyuga clan. It hadn't been a comfortable one considering the circumstances. He began to question whether he'd made the right decision in recommending Hiashi hire Ronin to rescue Hinata the first time. At the time he'd thought of the coldness he'd begun seeing in his friend's eyes. He'd watched as over the years Naruto had become an emotionless shade, he'd truly become Ronin. It had worried Gaara as he pondered what could be done to aid his friend.

When he'd learned that Hinata Hyuga had been abducted memories of the Chunin exams had flashed through his mind. The battle she'd had with her cousin Neji and the effect it'd had on Naruto stood out starkly. He wondered if somehow the young woman could affect his friend again. If Temari knew of his maneuvering she'd claim he was matchmaking, he claimed otherwise. _I just wanted to see my friend come back to life_.

He'd been pleasantly pleased to learn that Naruto hadn't turned down the first request to save Hinata. It had made him wonder if his friend still felt a connection to his former comrade, despite his apparent success in burying such connections. Now he worried over the trouble surrounding the Hyuga heiress and therefore the trouble he'd dragged his friend into.

Hiashi hadn't demanded his assistance in finding Ronin; instead he'd apologized for bringing such trouble to Gaara's village. Gaara had felt the need to reassure the Hyuga patriarch that it was not his fault and that of course Suna would offer any aid possible to resolve the situation. Both Hanabi and Neji Hyuga had remained silent during the meeting, though it was clear the younger Hyuga wanted desperately to interject her opinions.

He needed to speak with Naruto to find out more about the situation. He knew they'd fled from the room he maintained for him, the Hyugas had revealed such while bringing him up to speed on the recent events. Apparently the discovery of the room he kept reserved and supplied for Naruto was discovered by Hanabi Hyuga. After a thorough search of the room she and Neji had found no indication of who had been there or where they could have gone. The only sign that someone had been in the room was an open window, but the strong winds of Suna wiped away any possible tracks from the sand.

He had tried to remain patient as Hiashi and his daughter had argued over how to proceed with her protection. Finally Hiashi had put his foot down ordering the girl's return to Konoha with a Hyuga detail. Gaara had then offered to send his own brother and sister with the detail as an escort until they crossed the border. It was an offer Hiashi had clearly been reluctant to accept but in the end had capitulated out of desire to make his daughter as safe as possible.

He had a suspicion of where Naruto would head next. He wouldn't take Hinata far from her family or her fiancé when the wedding was to occur soon. Gaara felt frustration over that as well. He couldn't understand why the Hyuga elders would continue to push the marriage during such a troubling time. _Why do they believe the threat will recede once she's married? It makes no sense._

Gaara had met Hinata's future husband, the impression he'd received was that of a cold and calculated man who wished to use the Hyuga name to better himself. The others seemed to pay him little attention, often forgetting his presence as he had a tendency to remain quiet and as unobtrusive as possible. Needless to say Gaara had not been impressed with Nezu Damasu.

As he stepped out of the inn Kankuro joined his party. Weary of listening ears his brother informed him, "There is a…message waiting for you at the tower."

The brief pause was enough to tell Gaara that the message was more than likely from Naruto. He nodded in acknowledgement and hurried to the tower.

Upon reaching the door to his office he made sure no one had followed him before entering. There in the shadows stood what he had no doubt was one of Naruto's kage bunshin.

"You're risking a lot contacting me this way," Gaara stated as he crossed the room to his desk.

"I thought it necessary at the time."

Gaara nodded, "I've just returned from the Hoshi inn, I'm sorry you've lost your room for the time being."

Naruto slid his mask down to his neck, making his wince apparent, "Yeah that sucks."

Taking a seat Gaara smirked at him, "So the young Hyuga managed to catch Takeshi off guard, I'll not be forgetting that anytime soon."

Naruto allowed some humor to show upon his face, "Neither will I."

"Yes, you'll have to give him hell about it for me as he doesn't even know I'm your contact here."

Naruto merely nodded.

"So, I assume you are here to tell me you've transported Hinata Hyuga to the house."

The kage bunshin of Naruto nodded once more, "I wanted to make you aware. I know you primarily reside here but I didn't want there to be any surprises if you decided to rest there instead."

"I thank you for the warning. What are your plans, Naruto?

The kage bunshin shrugged, "There are none other than keeping the Hyuga safe, at least until Takeshi recovers?"

At this Gaara's eyebrow under the distinctive symbol for love quirked in question, "Recovers?"

Naruto's face displayed his self-deprecation, "I may have pushed him to go without sleep for over two days, with a sixteen hour spar thrown in there somewhere."

Gaara snorted in amusement, "From what you've told me he is good at keeping up, but even you should know better than that."

"Yeah, I know. He had his own meeting with Hiashi, once he wakes I'll sort out my next step."

Nodding Gaara responded, "Is there anything else?"

"What did you learn from your meeting at the inn?"

Pursing his lips, Gaara reclined into his chair. "That Hiashi is worried but has faith in you; his youngest daughter thinks you and Takeshi are the biggest threat to her sister. She will be returning to Konoha with a full escort, including Temari and Kankuro. Neji has suspicions but is following the orders of the clan head." Here Gaara paused for a breath, drumming his fingers on his desktop. "And Hinata's fiancé isn't to be trusted"

Naruto's gaze narrowed upon his friend's face, "What makes you say that?"

"A feeling I have."

Naruto nodded once more trusting his friend's judgment implicitly, "I'll let him know." Then he dispersed to send memories of this conversation flooding into Naruto's mind.

Ten Minutes Earlier

Naruto had watched surreptitiously as Hinata stepped out into the yard and began moving through the fighting stances of her family's gentle fist technique. Images of that fateful morning when he'd tried to spy on her training flashed through his mind. Only now she practiced with the barest light from a sliver moon, wearing all black with her hair pulled up and the black mask covering majority of her face. He tore his attention off of her and continued finishing a light dinner, more rice balls. He knew they were Takeshi's favorite this was his way of apologizing for pushing him beyond his limits.

When the food was done he bolstered himself before stepping out into the yard.

"The food is ready."

Hinata was panting slightly from her exercise when she responded, "Thank you, but I'm not hungry."

Naruto knew a brush off when he heard one and chose to respect her unstated wishes to be left alone. Turning to head back into the house he paused when she spoke again.

"So what's the plan?"

He turned back to her, "I don't have one."

She stood in the middle of the yard eying him doubtfully, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

Shrugging nonchalantly he replied, "I really don't care what you believe, until my partner wakes and tells me what he learned from speaking with your father there is no plan. Be mindful that I do not owe you any further explanations, it is my job to keep you alive and that is all you need to know."

"Again with the asshole act?" her voice was full of scorn.

"What act?"

Shaking her head in disgust Hinata stood waiting for him to say something…more. She couldn't wrap her head around his varying moods. He'd been almost concerned for her wellbeing when she strained her eyes. He'd been genial and teasing when in the kitchenette of the suite, she'd even heard him laugh over the attack on his friend. But now he was treating her with what she would almost call disdain.

"Why are you going to try keeping me alive, when you clearly could care less about me?"

"Why would an assassin do anything? The money of course."

"So, what? You'll just keep me here for some undefined time with no set plan. I see that working out well."

His head tilted to the side, "What's wrong Hyuga-hime worried you'll miss your wedding? I promise you'll be happily married in five oh no, make that four days now."

At the mention of her looming nuptials Hinata felt ice form in her veins as she clenched her jaw. But he strode into the house before she could calm her anger enough to deliver a retort.

Reentering the home Naruto was surprised to see Takeshi standing in the middle of the sitting room with anger in his eyes. "You're wrong for that you know?"

Not wanting to listen to his friend's opinion at the time he moved to brush by him, but was stopped by a hard grip upon his arm.

"She doesn't deserve you treating her as though something crawled up your ass."

Jerking his arm away from Takeshi he felt his anger begin to boil over. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Regardless, you are going to get it. Consider it one of the benefits of being friends with me."

"I should have killed you five years ago when I found you."

"Yeah, yeah like I've never heard that before."

Moving into the kitchen Naruto gestured towards the prepared food that Takeshi ignored and leaned against the counter.

Takeshi ran a hand over his face, "How long have I been out?"

With a shrug Naruto responded, "Almost an hour."

"Damn, alright listen. Hiashi isn't too thrilled about his daughters…well daughter, going missing. But he's chosen to get with the program. Oh and here's an interesting tidbit for you, Nezu the fiancé that you promised she'd be happily married to had a secret meeting with Jun."

Naruto's eyes narrowed with a deathly stare. "Did you hear what was said?"

"No, they were in one of the inn's gardens and it was impossible to sneak in from my vantage point. Whatever they were discussing Nezu was not happy about it and Jun was obviously trying to placate him."

Naruto brought a hand up to rub his chin through the mask, "Well, then I guess our next move is to find out what they were discussing."

Naruto's body gave a barely perceptible jerk as he felt his shadow clone disperse. Takeshi had seen him go through this so many times he knew to wait for all of the memories to sift through his friend's mind before speaking.

"Well, that was interesting."

Takeshi merely quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, waiting for Naruto to further expound upon that comment.

"Apparently, my contact here in Suna suspects the fiancé as well."

Takeshi summed up both their thoughts succinctly, "So an interrogation with some maiming and torture are in our foreseeable future huh?"

* * *

**Soooo sorry for taking this long to get a chapter up, hopefully you forgive me now that you've read this one. I had this chapter written and complete last week, at least I thought so. Until Roamer79 told me it was boring, so a lot of editing had to be done. If you still find it boring, just think...it was a lot worse, be glad I made the edits that I did. **

**I know, I know I'm such a tease with the hallway moment ;-). Trust me the big "reveal" is coming soon. Next chapter will be up in a few days, since I've already started working on it. As it is I agonized over whether or not to add the first portion of the next chapter into this one, but in the end this is what you all got. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviews, favs, and follows. By the way can I just say a, "woo-hoo!" for the fact that I've hit over 100 reviews. You all are awesome! Please keep them coming. Thank you, thank you. **


	9. Chapter 9

Oh my goodness! I'm sorry for being late on the upload. All I can say is I was walking down this road that might have been called Life. There may have been an old lady and some groceries in there somewhere. Oh and let's not forget the presence of a Devil Cat ;). Seriously though I am sorry this took so long, hopefully the chapter itself will make up for it.

Disclaimer there might be some slightly graphic descriptions of a torture scene, depends upon the readers constitution, but consider yourselves warned.

I have to give credit to my husband Roamer79 as he was a wonderful guest author for the first section of this chapter. I asked him to give me some ideas and he got a devilish smirk then went crazy writing the scene for me and since it worked I kept it. Now if you can tell the difference between his writing and mine, and you like his better please don't tell me lol. BTW if you are one of his readers, know that he has not abandoned his fics My Own Peace and Kitsune Clan. He started courses again only in a classroom instead of online like before so he's been consumed with that. I assure you once he adjusts his writing schedule to accomodate for class he'll be cranking out his updates again.

* * *

Chapter 9

Darkness bled into light as his consciousness started to take over his mind once again. His head was throbbing and his body ached as if it had been in a stationary and uncomfortable position for a great amount of time. As light passed through his eyelids causing him to stir slightly, there was a great amount of fear that raced over his body. This was not right. He should not have been asleep. Recent events passed through his mind as he recalled images as if he was in a dream. He had met with Nezu recently and was travelling through the village looking to attain supplies. There was also an upcoming meeting with the shadowy figure from the Akatsuki before he could retire from the long night of events. The last thing he could remember was traveling from one building after bartering a deal that would help out with the plot for the Hyuga heiress, then nothing.

Through an involuntary muscle reaction he noticed he could not move his body, and then his fear turned to complete panic. His eyes finally burst open as sweat started to form on his brow, his eyes tried to take in everything around him, hoping that what he felt in his bones was not reality. He was in a well lit room and it nearly calmed him, until he saw the position he was in. He was sitting in a chair, apparently tied to it. That was not the most disturbing thing though, as his torso was stretched across a stone table, common in Suna, while his wants were tied at the wrist and pulled tightly in front of him. The ropes appeared to be secured below the table making any effort to move impossible.

Even though he had been in similar position through his years as an informant for several shady organizations, what he heard and saw next made this particular event even more damning in his mind. There was a slight shuffle of movement from behind and to the left of him. In an attempt at seeing who is possible interrogator was he craned his neck as far as he could in that direction. At the realization of who it was that was approaching sent the chill of death down his spine. The image of the person that would take his soul from his flesh had a super imposed visage of death across his own.

He could see it now; death wore a mask that covered his face from the neck to the bridge of his nose and most of his cheeks. He was sure that if the mask was removed there would be a set of razor sharp teeth imbedded into a boney jaw that was sunken and fetid with the flesh of others that he believed it consumed. Clad in black was appropriate as the midnight clothing would force one to peer into emptiness as they tried to avert their gaze from the disarming blue eyes settled into their sockets. Normally he found blue eyes warming and often welcoming, but these were long since dead, a testament to the death and horrors he oversaw in hell. There were even glimpses of red that would flash in them from time to time as he took pleasure from the screams of pain he inflicted on others.

On top of his head his hair was a bright blonde, but the image of a yellow fire came to his mind as he felt the heat of the demons gaze. As he approached closer death spoke in a deep tone, he could swear that he had heard a growl before making out any words. "Jun, I think we need to have a little talk again." Just as Ronin reached the left of the chair Jun was sitting in he drove a kunai into his thigh on the outer area of his femur to ensure that he hit nothing vital. There was a loud scream of pain filled with tearful sobs that became more prominent as his windless lungs had already strained his throat.

As the scream subsided he made his way to the opposite side of the table and pushed on the rope hanging from of the end of the table that was tied to his right wrist. This caused a lot of strain to be etched across Jun's face. "That was just for being the weasel that you are. You know how I detest those that sell their soul to the highest bidder, causing human atrocities to occur for the simple sake of a few extra ryo".

"R-r-ronin, w-wh-why?" he stammered out

"For answers really. You contact me through the usual channels to get me to a take a job at the request of the Kazekage, to retrieve that girl," Naruto spat. "Then you have the audacity to request me for a mission to act as a third party contributor to rip the eyes out of her skull just after I retrieved her. I don't play second string in contract work, you know that. What was the ulterior motive for requesting me for such a thing?"

Much to Jun's surprise he did not know that the Kazekage was the originator for that retrieval contract. It would be valuable information considering if Ronin was specifically requested in receiving that job. That would of course depend on if he could get out of this alive. "I don't know what you mean. The contract came from a person who accepted the original from Kumo. I believe that he thought he wasn't strong enough to do it himself, and no other would make an attempt considering her guards presence".

"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you Jun?" he said as he put more pressure on the rope, watching the muscles in his arm pull against the strain of increased pressure. It was painful to have your muscles slowly torn apart. Sure a joint would pop out of socket and the pain from the displacement would quickly subside, but to have the very muscle fibers torn slowly was a lasting pain.

Through strained teeth he tried his best to answer, "NO, no… I would never." Tears started to soak his face and mix with the sweat from his forehead.

"Then tell me, who was the person that brought the contract for the eyes to you," Naruto said as if he was just relaxing in the sun instead of listening to the panted screams of his victim.

"You know I can't tell you that. My clients would abandon me if I released even one name," he breathed with his forehead pressed into the table.

At once screams filled the room unlike those of before. They quickly followed the sound of a 'thump' and squish noise as blood sprayed across Jun's face when he tried to look up. Naruto had brought down his fist on two of Jun's fingers. There wasn't even the sound of bones breaking, as they were likely smashed into more pieces than one could count in a few hours. The skin ruptured and the sudden increase in pressure caused them to erupt in a spray. Once the sobbing silence resumed he continued, "I would worry more about whether you are going to make it out of this alive. Although, as much as you have pissed me off, you may want to plead for a quick death after you've told me what I want to know".

Jun couldn't tell if he was crying due to the inflicted pain, or the thought that he was going to die. A small amount of hope still remained in his mind that he would live, but he would have to give up a little information and hope no one would be aware that it was him. "It was Nezu, Nezu approached me with the contract".

This was not news to Naruto, he expected something like this after what Takeshi told him. "Why involve me though? He could have easily taken the eyes from her when they slept after their marriage. There is more you're not telling me".

"No, I swear. That is all I know!" Jun cried.

Naruto pushed the rope that held the wrist of the hand with the smashed and bleeding fingers hard and swift. There was an audible three pops as the joints of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder separated from their sockets. "Don't take me for a fool, you filthy vermin. You always know more than you let on. The truth now or this will get painful, well more painful."

Jun was not sure if things could get worse than what he was feeling now, but he didn't want to find out if possible. "Ok, ok. Nezu requested you specifically," he panted. "After you saved the girl from the hired kidnappers, he wanted to cash in the bounty on your head in the bingo book as well. He was going to sell her to Kumo after he captured and killed you. You are worth a small fortune in rewards, more than the unsealed eyes of a byakugan user".

"And you were going to go along with this to make yourself rich at the expense of my life. You know this does not help our relationship Jun," Naruto said with a smirk underneath the mask. "This would be the reason behind the attack at the hotel?"

Nodding the best he could, often with his chin hitting the table, "Yes, he was hoping the father would hire you again to retrieve her just like last time. Then he would ambush you with a large force when you went to her rescue."

Happy that his captive was a little freer with his tongue he released the rope as a small reward. "Since that has obviously failed, what is his next plan to capture the mighty 'Ronin'?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since he asked me to gather a few men to kidnap her from the hotel," adding a few sobs hoping that it would be convincing.

Screams rang out once more as Naruto pushed a kunai into Jun's other arm near the shoulder until it was stopped by the bone. He then dragged it down making sure the metal scrapped the bone to heighten the unnerving pain beyond that of just cutting through tissue and muscle. "You're lying again Jun. My partner saw you in the garden of the inn with Nezu. Said Nezu appeared adamant about you helping him with his next attempt. What is the plan again? Things can get much worse than this."

"He is planning another attempt at the wedding," he screamed out as soon as his body quit shaking from the feeling of metal scraping the bone in his arm. "He asked me to assemble a large enough force to take you down, knowing that you were hired to protect and deliver her to the ceremony".

Finally having the information he needed to outmaneuver Nezu, he decided Jun was no longer needed. "You know I don't like being lied to Jun, and I don't feel that you have earned neither the right to live nor the right to a quick death. You sold your soul and honor for not even a guarantee of money. When they find you, others will be sure not to make the same mistake". Naruto walked to the right side of Jun and reached under the table. In two rapid movements he jabbed June in the abdomen. "I have just pierced your appendix and your spleen. They are currently releasing their fluids into your body and poisoning you. It is not a quick death, and it is rather painful once the poison takes effect, but others will get the message. Don't worry, no one knows you're here, and the room is sealed for sound. Although someone will be here in about two days to inspect the building, but you'll be dead by then". Naruto then started to walk away. "Jun, tell the Shinigami I said 'hi' will you?"

Jun could feel the muscles in his abdomen tightening painfully already. He was right in his first observation of Ronin, he was death, merciless and cold to the core. Even after everything that had happened to him, he didn't think it could get worse, but a slow painful death was by far worse than anything he had imagined he would have to go through.

"Ronin," Jun yelled. When he heard the retreating footsteps stop he continued hoping Kami would have mercy on him. "End me quickly and I will give you information that I just received. Information that threatens you, the people that are after you," he said through cries of pain and despair.

"I'm listening," he said shortly.

"The Akatsuki are looking to recruit you. They want you to join them. They are looking for the jinchurikis and want you to hunt them down. They asked me today to set them up with a means to contact you. They are also looking for someone named Naruto, he is suppose to be your first target." After he divulged all the information he had on Ronin from the infamous organization, he waited and prayed in pain filled silence. He wasn't sure if it was moments or minutes, as it didn't really matter. Trembles racked his body and tears clouded his eyes, then there was darkness in an instant.

* * *

Turning from the now lifeless body he closed his eyes releasing a deep sigh. He could feel the weight of exhaustion pulling at his limbs, urging him to rest. A part of him argued that it would only be for a few minutes, but he knew that if he gave in he'd be dragged down into a deeper slumber than he could afford.

Running his hands over his face in an attempt to wipe away the exhaustion, he walked out of the room he'd used to torture his informant. The information gained from that interrogation session only increased his mental exhaustion. Jun had confirmed his suspicions and had surprisingly been more useful than Naruto had expected.

He left the building and the empty shell of a body that had once housed a weasel known as Jun. Stepping out of the door he drew in a deep breath of air, thankful the wind had died down so he wasn't inhaling sand. He failed to extend his senses to seek out the presence of another. A rookie mistake in the world he existed in. One he regretted instantly as he heard the sound of sand shifting underfoot behind him.

Turning he felt the sudden pain of the sword as it was being driven through his right shoulder, just below his collar bone, at a downward angle piercing through his back. _Too slow_, he chastised himself knowing he'd pushed his body too far and now someone had caught him unaware. The impact sent him to one knee and as he looked up he saw the visage of someone he hadn't seen in years. _Sasuke_?

A second look confirmed that this was not his former comrade Sasuke, but instead his older brother Itachi Uchiha wearing the cloak of the Akatsuki. Before he could even consider going on the offensive the blade was twisted quickly, causing a groan of pain to be torn from his throat.

Naruto glared up at Itachi, his blue eyes promising retribution.

"Consider this your invitation to join our ranks," Itachi appeared to be bored and his voice held no emotion.

Clenching his teeth Naruto again prepared to move and the blade was twisted even more sharply in the opposite direction. His pain ravaged voice tore from his throat, "And if I decline your oh so generous proposition?"

Itachi's face still gave no indication of his thoughts making it hard to gage either him or his next actions. "That would be impossible. You will either join us as a volunteer or as a subject".

With that the sword was jerked out of Naruto's shoulder scraping bone as it tore free. The momentum of which threw him forward slightly. In the two seconds it took him to recover and raise his gaze Itachi body dissolved into a flock or ravens, flying in every direction.

* * *

Hinata had spent two hours in the yard moving, stiffly in her opinion, through old fighting stances and katas. Over the course of those two hours she attempted to vent all her frustrations and worries through physical exertion. All she'd really managed to do was exhaust herself. She'd vaguely noted as she reentered the home that Takeshi must have gone to rest some more. It was weird, her life was in danger and she was supposed to be under their guard. Yet Ronin had left and Takeshi had gone to sleep. _Some guards_, she thought sarcastically.

After eating some of the onigiri prepared by Ronin she had found an empty room where she could clean up and get some rest. Unfortunately the desired rest was elusive as her brain kept pondering over the events of the last few days. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was something she had overlooked, some tiny detail she should have noted but hadn't. It was the same as the feeling one gets when a word is right on the tip of their tongue, but just won't come out.

With a huff of exasperation she threw back the covers of the bed, re-dressed and entered the main sitting room. She began studying the bindings of the books resting upon multiple shelves that encircled the room, in hopes of finding something to take her mind off of… well, everything.

That's how Naruto found her as he entered through the rear door. Her back was to him as she seemed to stare at the bookshelves. Long black hair hung loosely down her back, and he wondered if she'd finally removed the mask. His jaw was beginning to feel sore with all the teeth clenching he'd done from the pain of his shoulder. He had to admit to a feeling of relief at being back. That sense of relief made it seem like all the strength ebbed right out of him. His vision began to blur around the edges, with the clear center on Hinata's back.

The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end, a signal that she was no longer alone. Spinning quickly she was surprised to find Ronin standing near the already closed door. She marveled at the fact that she'd never heard his return. Takeshi had told her earlier that Ronin left to conduct some business, though he'd been less than forthcoming on what that business could be. Honestly, she didn't want to know.

She gave him a small smile in an attempt to be polite though it barely reached her eyes.

"Welcome back," she spoke in a quiet tone.

A quick jerk of his head was all the response she got out of him. She gave another sigh, shaking her head as she turned back to the books.

"Where's Takeshi?"

Turning back to Ronin she peered at him with concern. It had sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth.

"He's sleeping".

She received another head nod and watched as he moved towards the kitchen. Wondering what it was about him that seemed off, she gasped softly when she realized his movements were stiff, lacking any fluidity. _He's injured!_

Moving to follow him she felt her usual shy nature overtake her. _Should I ask if he's okay? Will he want my aid? _She fell back into the old habit of wringing her hands. With a deep breath she forced her hands back down by her sides.

"Are you alright?"

She heard a nonverbal sound, a mix between a grunt and a growl in answer to her inquiry. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, as he simply stood in the middle of the kitchen glaring at the floor. If there was an injury his dark clothes hindered her ability to see one. Pursing her lips she studied his stance and developed a theory.

Moving around the kitchen's bar she entered the kitchen, watching as he moved to keep his right side angled away from her. Now she knew why she hadn't been able to spot an injury, he was making sure she didn't notice. Shaking her head at his silent display of stubbornness she approached him even faster. After one step his gaze snapped to hers, his eyes freezing her in her tracks.

"Leave me alone, Hyuga-hime," his tone was pitched low but she clearly heard the coldness that filled his words.

Shaken by his attitude, she decided that it wasn't worth putting up with his shit to help him. With narrowed eyes she replied, "Fine, just try not to bleed all over the place. I for one will not be cleaning it up". Despite the callousness of her words she maintained an even tone. Never betraying the true anger she felt, an anger she couldn't begin to understand or explain if asked. All she knew was that it bothered her greatly on some level to have her concern for this man discarded so easily. Admittedly it also bothered her that she had been concerned at all. Her only excuse was that he'd saved her life twice and had shown no ill will, other than asshole tendencies, towards her. _Oh who am I kidding, I don't know why the hell I care and that is pissing me off._

Hinata turned to leave the kitchen catching sight of Takeshi standing in the mouth of the hallway. She chose to ignore the way he smirked with a raised eyebrow and returned to the multitude of books in the sitting room. She'd always loved to read. For a shy girl like her, reading was a great way to experience things or pretend to be bold like the heroines in her books.

Takeshi had known the moment Naruto returned, he'd moved silently towards the sitting room and unabashedly eavesdropped on the two in the kitchen. Moving towards Naruto he observed the way his friend followed Hinata's exit with his eyes, before acknowledging his presence. Naruto took one step towards him when his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he began to collapse. Unfortunately Takeshi was too slow to prevent him from hitting the floor. Crouching over him, he rolled Naruto to his back finding his hand covered in blood from a large hole in his shoulder. _Damn it, Naruto. What the hell happened? _

The sound of the impact brought Hinata running back to the kitchen behind Takeshi. She immediately noticed the blood covering his hand and a hole in Ronin's jacket over his shoulder. Making out any other details was nearly impossible thanks to the layers and dark color of his jacket and undershirt.

Takeshi gave a low whistle, "Damn, he is going to be so pissed about that hole in his jacket."

Hinata frowned at him, amazed that his friend laid there bleeding and his concern was over how angry the man would be over his torn jacket. _Wait a minute… _a memory struck Hinata.

"Takeshi, his jacket is armored. So what could have done this?"

His face all seriousness Takeshi answered, "Observant, aren't you? Yeah it's armored, so whatever did this was extremely sharp and had a lot of force behind it".

Takeshi began struggling to remove Ronin's jacket. Hinata immediately knelt down to help him, despite Ronin's attitude it wasn't in her nature to allow someone to suffer. Plus, she felt this tightening in her stomach, a feeling of worry for this bleeding stranger on the floor.

They had opted to remove the jacket rather than wasting time trying to cut it off. The armor in the lining would make cutting the jacket off nearly impossible. And Takeshi had looked terrified at the thought of Ronin waking to find his precious jacket even more damaged. They had, however, cut his shirt away from the wound revealing what Hinata could best describe as rope after rope of muscle. The drool inducing image was almost ruined by the sight of the wound in his shoulder that looked like a very large hole going straight through him. Hinata was reminded of her own wound at the hands of Gorou, though hers had been far smaller and in the opposite shoulder. She looked around finding a kitchen towel, balling it up and placing it over the large hole in his chest. Then she balled the remains of his shirt to place under him in an attempt to staunch the blood flow.

Takeshi eyed the wound knowing that his friend would be, not fully recovered, but up on his feet again in no time at least. The Kyuubi would heal and restore Naruto. _Although, he could use a little TLC. _His thoughts turned calculating while he watched the concern spread over Hinata's face as she studied the wound.

Faking a look of contrition Takeshi turned to Hinata, "Um, do you know how to care for a wound?"

Hinata's eyes bulged, was this man really asking her to play nurse maid. "Wh-what? You don't?"

Takeshi's eyes seemed filled with a mixture of apology, embarrassment, and regret.

_Man, can I play-act or what?_ He thought to himself. Takeshi had decided that tit for tat was deserved, after all Naruto had gotten an eye full treating Hinata. And Takeshi suspected he'd gotten more than an eye full when he'd sent him to find her at the stream. So in his mind turn about was fair play, plus he was imagining the laugh he might get out of it.

"No, I don't. He usually doctors his own wounds and he's never had one this bad". _I hope Kami doesn't strike me down for that whopper of a lie._

Hinata could not believe what was happening, but there was little time to argue that she should not be in charge of someone else's medical care. He was losing a lot of blood and it was beginning to soak through the kitchen towel she had pressed against the hole.

With a final look of consternation and a sigh, "Alright, but I only know a very basic medical jutsu and my first aid skills are even more basic than that. I hope your friend is resilient because I guarantee this treatment alone won't help him. I'll need more towels, whatever you have for bandages and something to clean the wound".

Struggling to hide a smile Takeshi nodded and left to get what she needed.

Hinata eyed the mask that Takeshi had been careful not to remove from Ronin in the process of revealing the wound. Nibbling her bottom lip she wondered if she should take a peek at this man's face. Obviously Takeshi was trusting that she wouldn't and she really hated to betray someone's trust. But curiosity was a powerful motivator for people to do something they really shouldn't. Glancing around to make sure she was alone and listening to the sounds of Takeshi down the hall gathering supplies.

With a shaky hand and pounding heart she reached out towards the mask, fully expecting someone to stop her at any minute. When her hand made contact with the mask she couldn't help but caress the cheek that rested under the mask. _Should I really do this? _Somehow despite her doubts she was drawn to this action, she simply had to remove the mask even for a second. Slowly inching it down until his face was revealed her eyes widened as far too many emotions surged through her.

Takeshi had gathered up everything Hinata had demanded and was turning to head back to the kitchen when a loud crack splintered the silence of the house. Alarmed he raced back only to be halted in his tracks at the sight of Hinata Hyuga staring angrily at Naruto's unmasked face which bore a very distinctive red hand print.

The first thought that had surged through Hinata's mind upon seeing distinctive whisker marks and recognizing the face that bore them despite the effects of maturity was denial. _No, no it can't be he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't become this. _Immediately followed by anger as everything seemed to click into place, her dreams, her feelings… A blush crept over her face, she'd begun to feel attracted to Ronin when the whole time it was Naruto. _I'd felt ashamed for my feelings! The asshole! _Instead of allowing her blush of embarrassment to hinder her as it had in the past, her anger seemed to rule her mind and actions. Before she knew what she'd done her hand had snapped out to impact with his cheek loudly.

"Naruto," she growled, "You asshole!"

Takeshi was frozen in surprise, he didn't know how to handle this situation or what he should do for damage control. Here his best friend lay bleeding and Hinata Hyuga had discovered his true identity. The heiress practically had sparks shooting off of her from the amount of anger she was radiating.

She began to lightly smack him repeatedly on his face, shoulder and arm while muttering angrily.

"Ugh, I can't believe you! I thought you were dead and all this time you've been…" She made a sound of disgust, "And you were such a cold bastard to me!"

Takeshi was just stunned at her exhibit of anger towards Naruto, but at the same time he found it slightly amusing.

"He can't hear you or feel those hits, you know that right?"

Hinata gave an exasperated sigh, "I know. But it makes me feel better. Maybe this way I won't kill him as soon as he wakes up."

She looked up leveling a glare at Takeshi who appeared amused and nervous.

"Oh relax, I'm not going to cause irreparable damage to him."

Takeshi's eyes hardened, "Yeah but can I trust you to treat his wound?"

She knew that what he really wanted to know was if she could be trusted to keep his identity. Closing her eyes for patience she responded, "Yes, you can trust me. Despite my anger with him, I once held him in high regard."

Holding her hand out for the towels and bandages she dejectedly said, "Let's just get him patched up and in a bed so he can rest."

Words could not express the anger and sense of betrayal she felt at that moment. Yet she couldn't deny the great sense of relief she also felt at knowing her Naruto-kun was indeed alive, though she hid that well behind her anger.

Takeshi eyed her warily for a second before seeming to come to a decision. With a nod he passed her everything she would need to treat Naruto's shoulder. He silently prayed that this wouldn't be something he'd live to regret. He also berated himself for not realizing the tempting mystery before her when he'd left her alone with Naruto. _This won't go over well when he wakes up._

* * *

Shout Outs:

KingKakashi: Thank you so much for the huge compliment to both Roamer79 and myself in your latest addition to Naruto vs. Sasuke The Aftermath. We are extremely honored that you feel so highly about our writing capabilities and our stories. (Seriously peeps check out KingKakashi's story, if you haven't already then you're crazy, it's awesome!)

EagleEye007: Wow thank you for the wonderful review of both this story and my second one Stay. I truly appreciate the constructive criticism. I'll keep that in mind during conversations between Hiashi and Neji ;). I actually did plan for Stay to be just the two parts right from the beginning, I'm glad it worked out well too. I enjoyed writing it and hope I can find the time to do another short story like it eventually.

For every reader, reviewer, follower and favorite (even those who don't leave a review) I say thank you and I hope I can continue to entertain you.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: **I feel the need to explain that my ability to write is challenged by my lack of time. I have four children: one in school, and three who are too young for school. My time belongs to them, so when they allow me to, I try to fit in writing. Since October three of them have had birthdays, plus there was Thanksgiving, so my available time shrunk drastically. I undertand (and hope) that you may look forward to my chapters, believe me I feel terrible when I can't update as often as I'd like and I truly apologize when it takes me so long. I just ask that everyone please understand I'm writing and updating as fast as I can. In fact, this chapter is not as long as I had originally intended it to be because I realized it's been a month since I've updated and I didn't want to take any longer to get a chapter up. I will be putting in some serious effort to get the next one written and posted ASAP. I have no intentions of giving up on this story, it's just taking me a bit longer to write it then I'd planned, so please dear readers be patient with me.

Also, it doesn't help my availability to write, when Roamer79 hijacks the computer to write his novel size chapters ;). Honestly, the man drives me crazy with how easy he makes it look to write a nearly 10k word chapter. Which I'm then expected to help edit, lol. Anyways, on to what you've really come here for, the latest chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

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Chapter 10

Hinata sat with pursed lips, crossed arms and legs staring a hole through Naruto Uzumaki as he lay unconscious in bed. His notorious mask was clenched tightly in her fist as she sat there contemplating the situation.

She'd never been so angry at anyone nor had she ever struck anyone in anger either. She had to admit striking him for what she felt were a litany of poor decisions on his part, treating her like shit for instance, had been cathartic. Even if he hadn't been conscious and therefore was unaware she'd struck him. She imagined one could've seen the smoke streaming from her ears and nostrils at the thought of how he'd tricked her.

After providing the necessary care for Naruto's wound, she'd stormed off leaving his relocation to a bedroom for Takeshi to handle. It didn't take long for her angry pacing to lead her to his bedside where her feet seemed determined not to lead her away.

For the first hour of her vigil Takeshi had hovered close by, wary of her motives and potential actions. She had taken a seat next to the head of the bed Naruto rested upon and had simply stared. He'd eventually wandered off but she knew he checked on them every couple of minutes. This was beginning to feel like the longest night of her life, she wondered if it would ever end. Despite her wish to see this night end with the coming dawn, there was no way she'd be able to sleep.

Hinata had believed the worst about Naruto's fate after so many years of hearing nothing about him. The lack of a single snippet of information on him had driven her to mourn his absence. Now to learn that he was alive and had grown to become such an asshole truly drove her to a level of angry she'd never before felt.

A part of her recognized that he hadn't felt the same for her as she had for him all those years ago. So obviously he wouldn't understand the depth of betrayal she felt. But she could certainly let him know that she didn't appreciate being tricked. _Can you do that without revealing your true feelings, _she asked herself.

Narrowing her eyes on his almost peaceful countenance, she felt too impatient to wait for him to wake on his own.

Kicking out her foot she connected with his upper thigh hard enough to rock his body but not hard enough to bruise. He sat up instantly searching the room with wild eyes, no doubt looking for the enemy. Fortunately for Hinata she'd moved the chair well out of his reach, it was also the reason she'd chosen to 'nudge' him with her foot rather than allowing herself to get close enough to be attacked.

Naruto woke confused he didn't remember submitting to his exhaustion, least of all lying down in a bed. When the confusion and haze of sleep began to clear he saw Hinata sitting in a chair several feet away. He couldn't guess the reason behind the angry look she was giving him, but he had a feeling this didn't bode well. The adrenaline of being startled awake faded quickly and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Glancing down he remembered everything that had happened the night before with a distinct lack of remembrance for the events after he'd made it back to the house. A felt something soft hit his chest and tumble into his lap, glancing down he felt everything inside him still. Hinata had thrown his mask at him. Lifting his eyes to stare at her without raising his head, he wasn't sure what to say.

"Well, I see I have your attention now," her tone was deceptively calm and gentle. "So, Naruto it's been awhile. I would ask what you've been up to, but who doesn't know the exploits of Ronin," her voice became cold as she continued to speak.

Hinata studied every micro-expression as it passed his face. There was once a time she could've claimed to have the ability to read his mind simply by watching his face. But now she had no clue, for the tiny bits of expression revealed nothing to her about what thoughts he kept so well hidden.

"How long have I been out?"

Hinata jerked back in shock, "You've been unconscious about four hours."

He nodded simply before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed while rubbing his face. Dropping his hands, he gave her a questioning look. "Was there something you needed?"

Hinata felt her jaw drop, leaving her mouth agape. Sitting up she glared at him, "Are you seriously going to ignore this?"

With a sigh he answered her, "Ignore what? I'm exhausted, wounded and you're coming at me like some belligerent harpy. Honestly Hyuga-hime, I don't know what time it is but I haven't had nearly enough sleep to deal with whatever has your panties in a bunch."

For the second time that, seemingly endless, night a loud crack could be heard throughout the house.

Takeshi appeared in the doorway, with a look of concern upon his face. He found an incredulous Hinata standing over Naruto who was glaring at her.

Naruto's eyes had turned deathly cold as they narrowed, "Do not hit me again."

Hinata sat back slowly; the unspoken threat was evident in that one sentence. This was clearly not her Naruto. She wondered what could have possibly happened to change him so much. Should she even waste her time trying to gain the answers to her questions?

After unblinkingly staring at each other for what seemed like several minutes. Hinata released an aggravated sigh and in a calmer tone spoke, "Then explain… this," she gestured towards the mask. "I just want to understand."

She almost dropped her head to watch her clasped hands in her lap, but she refused to back down. _I've changed too, I'm not the shy Hinata anymore and I refuse to be her again._ Hinata's eyes met Naruto's again challenging him, almost daring him to respond.

He glanced towards the door and Hinata saw Takeshi shrug before moving away from the door.

His gaze returned to her for a second before he rose from the bed and moved passed her. Pulling his trademark dark red pants and shirt out of his bag, he turned back to her.

"There's nothing to explain, nothing for you to understand. Because the answers you are futilely seeking are pointless. My identity does not affect nor change the parameters of the job. I will protect you from the current threat and that will be the end of it. You have your life and I have mine," here he paused to gesture to the trademark wardrobe of Ronin the assassin. Crossing his arms over his chest he gave her a measuring look, "I hope I can at least trust you to keep my identity secret, I'm sure you're aware the ramifications of not doing so."

Hinata gave a mirthless laugh, one born of shock and anger. She shook her head, "I just... I apologize, I believed you were Naruto Uzumaki, but I see I was mistaken. I'll leave you to change, Ronin."

She stood to leave the room and missed seeing Naruto's gaze drop to the floor in uncertainty. He glanced up to stare at her retreating back, his mouth opened as if to speak but he didn't know what to say. _Should I call her back, should I push her away more… should I apologize for being a heartless bastard?_

Hinata left the room not knowing the internal struggle of the man she'd just walked away from.

Takeshi was in the sitting room checking the supplies of his pack, including his weapons, when Hinata re-entered the room. She was so frustrated with the situation and completely at a loss for what to do. Pinching the bridge of her nose she paced towards the door that would take her out into the rear yard.

Takeshi cleared his throat, gaining Hinata's attention, "Sorry he can be, less than pleasant, when wounded and running on so little sleep."

Hinata scoffed at this man making excuses for Naruto, "Please, don't make excuses for his behavior. He is behaving as expected for one such as Ronin." She turned away from him considering what he had said. Without looking back at him she inquired, "How long had it been since he'd slept?"

"Hmm, close to a week."

Hinata spun around, "That's not possible! No one can go that long without sleep. A mental break would occur."

"Yeah well, he can. Besides, I wouldn't say a mental break hasn't occurred at some point," Takeshi chuckled at his own dig at his friend's mental capacity.

Hinata rolled her eyes at his failed attempt at humor before glancing away again. She noted the lightening of the sky with the approaching dawn. _This night finally ends_. "I'm going to get some rest." Without waiting for a response she marched to her room and did just that, never noticing Naruto enter the hall.

* * *

_Worst nap EVER, _Hinata thought to herself as she dragged herself out of bed. Her exhaustion from what she now titled "The Longest Night," had caused her to fall onto the bed without removing any clothes. That had seemed to be the extent of her exhaustion's pull. For over two hours she'd lain in the bed with a leaden body that refused to move. Her mind, however, seemed incapable of succumbing to exhaustion as it raced and pored over every stressful detail of the last few days. She was certain at some point her mind must have drifted into that realm of unconscious she just couldn't tell when. And if it had done so, well it certainly hadn't been long enough for her to feel rested.

After a short trip to bathroom and an attempt to make herself look less than bedraggled, a failed attempt in her opinion. Hinata left her room heading to the kitchen for some water. The last thing she wanted to worry about was Naruto, Takeshi, or really anything to do with her current circumstance. Passing the sitting room she noted the two men whispering near the rear door and kept moving towards the kitchen. Naruto had seemed his usual stoic self, while Takeshi had been far more animated.

Quickly finding something light to eat and some water Hinata's ears couldn't help but strain to discover just what those two were discussing. During their whispered conversation her eyes had managed to pick up the mumbled words 'crazy, pan, and lamp'. Attempting not to laugh aloud she shook her head knowing the subject of their conversation was none other than her sister, Hanabi.

After only a few seconds she heard one other word, 'go', before the sound of the rear door opening and closing reached her ears. She suspected that her luck was not good enough that she'd been left alone with Takeshi rather than Naruto. Her suspicions were proven accurate when he entered the kitchen. His mask was firmly back in place with several spikes of his blond hair falling forward creating a curtain over his bright blue eyes. _Kami I knew I should've burned that damn mask. _As she'd sat next to his bed for hours she'd envisioned exactly how she'd toss his mask into the fireplace of the sitting room and gleefully set it aflame. She'd even gone so far as to imagine how the scent of smoke would rouse him and he'd storm into the living room. Her imaginings always ended at that point because honestly she couldn't see herself being quite that bold or vindictive. _Of course, I didn't see myself hitting him once let alone a second time but one can never tell. _

She considered asking him where Takeshi went and how long he'd be gone, but considering how forthcoming he'd been with answers as of late… _It'd be a waste of time_. Rather than ignore his presence by avoiding eye contact she leaned against the counter, glass of water in hand and stared him down with a bland look upon her face.

The last couple of hours had been interesting for Naruto. He'd had to face the dilemma of Hinata knowing his identity, as well as his asshole antics. Another clone had to be sent to Gaara, side note waking that guy at sunrise is not a wise move. After sending a second clone he'd informed his friend of everything learned the night before. Including the fact that Akatsuki members were within the village walls. Naruto hoped the Akatsuki were too busy recruiting one of his identities and tracking his other to bother with the jinchuriki of the One-Tail.

Now entering the kitchen he took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for the role he now needed to play, not only in front of Hinata, but in her life. _At least for the next few days._

Six and a half hours later

_I'm…going…to…kill…him._ Resting her back against a tree Hinata was so worn out and gasping so hard, that even her thoughts had to pause for breath. Six hours of running will do that to a person.

Hinata had been unsure what to expect when Naruto had entered the kitchen but she certainly hadn't expected him to announce they were leaving the village as though the legendary tailed-beasts themselves were on their trail. When she'd asked why they were leaving he'd given her a look that belittled her intelligence before responding.

"Should we wait here for your attackers to find us?"

After that she'd bitten her tongue realizing he was right and that staying on the move was the wisest choice.

She'd tried to ask him where they were headed as they'd snuck out of the village and begun their trek. Of course he'd ignored her every attempt at conversation. At first she'd been angry but after an hour of running through the trees behind him, she'd cooled down. At the end of the second hour she noted that their course seemed to be backtracking. She'd calmed herself with the thought that perhaps he was doing so to throw off potential followers.

Over the next two hours her mind had begun to wander and she'd reached a decision. Obviously the man ahead of her was no longer the thirteen year old Naruto she'd known so well. But did she believe he truly was Ronin the cold-hearted assassin? She wanted so desperately to believe that he couldn't have completely turned his back on the inherent nature he'd possessed at thirteen.

_There has to be some sort of balance between those two personalities. It just can't be one or the other, I refuse to believe otherwise._ With those thoughts in mind Hinata dedicated herself to finding the balance and drawing out at least some semblance of the man Naruto may have become if he hadn't left the village. A small corner of her mind wondered if she would find that balance or if she would find herself more entrenched with Ronin. Before knowing his identity she'd been drawn to him, attracted on a physical level beyond all reason. Now she was emotionally drawn as well, but those emotions felt roiled in turmoil over his reactions to her.

After four hours of running she realized they'd returned to the starting point of their trek. _What in the world is he doing?_ Pausing for only a handful of minutes to sip water he'd started off again in the same direction they'd already traveled. Hinata considered halting right then and there until she got some sort of explanation from him. But a vacant memory of Sakura complaining about Kakashi-sensei's odd combo of ditching a tail and endurance training, made her keep going. She wasn't sure which purpose this method was serving, was it to throw off followers or was he trying to train? _He couldn't be training me, could he?_

Another two hours went by before they once again reached the location where Naruto had begun to turn back. During their now six hours of running back and forth they had been heading either east or west. Now Naruto changed direction completely, heading north. He also began to pick up the pace.

Their entire run Hinata had wanted nothing more than to stop or even slow down, if only slightly. She'd refused either action since she didn't want to appear weak in his eyes. _After everything I still care what he thinks of me._

As he increased his pace Hinata felt she would collapse before finally reaching their destination.

Naruto was impressed that she'd kept up with him so easily. It helped that he wasn't traveling his usual speed but far slower out of consideration for her lack of training over the years. The next few days would be grueling for her and she'd probably come to hate him even more, but this was for her own good. He needed her to be prepared, to be ready to defend herself when the time came instead of being a liability.

Half an hour later Hinata was desperately gasping air and trying not to miss a step that would cause a painful crash to the ground. She saw Naruto finally drop to the ground and she followed landing not nearly as gracefully as him. Pressing her back against a tree she immediately unzipped her jacket which was drenched in sweat. She wanted to take it off, but Naruto was far too unpredictable. _Knowing my luck he'll jump into the trees to run in the opposite direction again._

Shrugging off his pack Naruto turned towards Hinata. He wanted to smile at how cute she looked struggling for air while staring daggers through his head. As his gaze lowered he couldn't help but notice the top of her cleavage revealed by her low tank top. He remembered when they were teenagers she never removed, or even unzipped, her jacket no matter how hot it was. Turning away he scanned the area ensuring there were no other chakra signatures anywhere near.

"This'll do," he said absently.

Finally beginning to catch her breath and feeling twinges of pain that she knew would become worse in the next 24 hours. Her gaze jerked to Naruto, "Is this camp?"

"No, it's a make-shift training ground. Prepare yourself; we get started in five minutes." He began moving to the middle of the clearing they'd stopped near.

Eyes bulging Hinata took in the clearing, "Training, for what?"

With a weary sigh, he turned back to her, "I admit I've appreciated you not questioning me at every turn, though I suppose that lack of inquisitiveness has left you at a disadvantage."

He took another breath before reaching up towards his neck then letting his hand drop suddenly.

"I should've told you before we left the village…your fiancé is behind these attacks on you. He's planning a large scale one at the wedding."

Hinata was taken aback by what she'd just heard. She couldn't seem to stop the shock and confusion from the news that she had just received. The very person that her family had chosen, and she had 'reluctantly' accepted, was the very person that caused all the problems in her life currently. Even this, possibly, unfortunate reunion with Naruto was the fault of Nezu.

"So if Nezu is the one behind each attack then why bother making attempts on my life before the wedding? He could've waited until after the ceremony when we were alone?" She cringed thinking of the potential outcome that could've been her fate… marrying that man. She shuddered slightly.

Naruto acted as though the conversation held little importance to him. From his appearance he could've been discussing something as mundane as the weather rather than murder attempts.

"Easy answer?" he questioned, "Greed."

When she still looked confused he continued with an aggrieved sigh.

"The engagement contract states that if anything were to happen causing the wedding to be called off your clan would have to pay him restitution." He had stressed the word anything, leaving her little doubt of what that could include. "If his arranged attempts on your life were successful, he would gain the restitution as well as the bounty for your unsealed eyes. Now he's planning to attack at the wedding, he knows I'm guarding you and he's looking to cash in… big time."

Realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, "He wants the bounty on you as well."

Naruto responded with a sharp nod of his head, before turning to remove his coat and ninjato placing them on top of his pack.

"Are you ready to train yet?" he called out to her.

_That settles it. This is definitely an unfortunate reunion_, Hinata proclaimed to herself.

"Why do I need to train? You know when he plans to attack and clearly you plan to be there."

Again she received a look that spoke volume s on his opinion of her intelligence level.

"Yes, I plan to be there. But I can't be everywhere, I'm only one guy." At that he chuckled slightly, and she remembered his favorite fighting method had once been the overuse of shadow clones.

Shaking himself from his musings he continued, "You need to be ready for any eventuality. Your use of your family's gentle fist is predictable. Your skills as a shinobi are rusty and frankly, will do little to prevent them from getting a hold of you. Ergo, we're going to train here as much as possible over the next three days. Now are we done with the Q&A session?"

Hinata had finally caught her breath from their dragged out run. Moving away from the tree she turned her back on Naruto preparing to shrug off her jacket. As soon as she'd shrugged the jacket off of her shoulders, she felt a hard tug on the back of her jacket sending her falling to her back. The impact shocked her as she struggled to understand what was happening she realized her arms were caught up in her jacket. Suddenly there was a hard weight across her chest and she looked up to find Naruto next to her with his knee pressing her down.

Naruto watched Hinata look up at him with disbelief, anger and possibly hurt. _Oh shit, did I really just do that?_ He'd never felt more like a heartless bastard but this had to be done, Hinata needed a crash course and this was the only way. Maybe if she came to hate him during this training he wouldn't be so tempted to kiss and caress her. So he hardened his resolve to be merciless.

She watched him reach out slowly and tap her throat with a look of disappointment. "And now you're dead."

"Wha?"

"Surely you haven't forgotten the cardinal rule to never lose sight of your opponent?"

"We hadn't even started yet!" She struggled under the weight of his knee, becoming angrier.

Removing his knee he stood without offering her any assistance. "What, you expect someone to signal a start every time you're attacked? Get real, hime?" He sneered at her while rolling his eyes.

Standing quickly she removed her jacket with jerky movements, glaring daggers at him the whole time. Without looking she tossed her jacket away and before she could take a prepared fighting stance she found herself on the defensive from a multitude of rapid attacks.


	11. Chapter 11

**So, here we are again: me posting a new chapter and you, hopefully, reading it. This is a short chapter, but if you don't like it blame Roamer79, he requested it. Although, I hope that despite it's lack of length you all still find it entertaining.**

**Now if you are all good little boys and girls, maybe Santa will bring you another chapter in the coming week of Christmas ;)**

**I own nothing: except Roamer79's heart, what seems like a thousand children (but is really only four), and an adorable dog. **

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Seven Hours Earlier

Leaping through the trees, he made sure to stay to the side of the path so he wouldn't arouse suspicion from those that commonly traversed between the two prominent villages. He knew he should be getting closer as he sped by a small river that acted as a natural landmark, but he had no delusions about catching them by surprise. They were some of the finest specimens of shinobi that the village had to offer, one was even touted as a prodigy in his own right. Although he wore seals to mask his chakra, he knew they would pick up on his arrival when he made contact.

He should catch up to them soon, the party had been traveling for twelve hours leaving immediately after his meeting with Hiashi. He hadn't been on their trail long, but as a group they traveled a lot slower than him. He had to admit to some surprise when he realized they'd made it across the border of Kawa no Kuni. Their feat would make his trek with the young Hyuga even more difficult when he considered the route they'd now have to take.

_'How did I ever let that blonde bastard talk me into this? He so owes me right now. I should have brought a frying pan just to throw at her, an eye for an eye, right? Yeah, a heavy cast iron one,' _he thought with a smirk. Off in the distance he could hear some voices coming from the path. The man slowed his pace to identify the travelers in an attempt to confirm whether or not these people were his target.

"Neji-san, it is just not right that we should be sent away at a time like this when my sister is in constant danger," came a pouting voice.

The tall young man with a 'Leaf' forehead protector proudly worn on his head sighed. He honestly wished he could have stayed behind as well. Of course he would have been able to protect his cousin better, but he also enjoyed her company better than the younger one he was currently escorting. Although, he was close to his younger cousin it was not in the same degree that he felt with Hinata. She had always treated him as a brother rather than a cousin or servant, Hanabi on the other hand always remained at a distance where family ties were concerned.

"It is what your father has decided, and we will do as he wishes. He is only concerned for your safety Hanabi-sama," he said plainly.

"We are all capable shinobi, and we could have stayed to help secure Hinata's safety," Hanabi quipped, not letting the subject go.

"Your father has hired Ronin to handle her safety, and if his reputation is anything to go by then she should be in good hands," Neji supplied. At the mention of the name Ronin, the two other escorts in their small party perked up and listened closely.

Hanabi actually turned her head and sneered at her cousin, "I do not trust him. He is a mercenary for hire and could just as easily turn on her for a quick ryo".

"I may not be fond of them as well, but your father has placed his trust in Ronin and his companion, and I trust your father," he said.

"That man knocked me out, and took me against my will," she all but yelled. "I think he tried to grope me when he thought I was out." She'd halted in the middle of the path determined to argue her point against Ronin and his companion. Frustration built as she realized her arguments were not eliciting the reaction she wanted from her cousin.

The young man knelt on a branch listening in on the conversation. He remembered the incident she had described vividly. He had to readjust his grip when trying to save her life and had gripped her posterior, quite roughly, while holding her. He thought she was knocked out, so he didn't pay it any attention. Now that she was talking about it and he was observing that firm form of flesh move under her loose trousers. He wouldn't mind feeling it again, not that he would ever admit it to her.

Deciding to put an end to that line of thought he leapt down behind her. "Don't flatter yourself. I prefer women with curves, not little boys." He gave her a bland look.

Hanabi spun and immediately began to sputter at his insult. Neji had slipped into a fighting stance, not recognizing him as Ronin's partner.

Takeshi noted that the blonde with a giant fan and the weirdo with face paint hadn't appeared surprised by his arrival. Speaking over the sputtering young Hyuga he addressed her cousin.

"Ronin sent me, I'm taking over."

Hanabi's jaw dropped as Neji straightened.

"Hanabi, is this Ronin's partner?" Neji had never seen his face and needed her confirmation before agreeing to relinquish his role as protector.

Staring at the insulting ass in front of her, she considered lying to her cousin to claim he was lying. The ass must've guessed what she was thinking because his eyes took on a hard glint as he slowly shook his head. With a frustrated sigh and in a petulant tone she chose to be honest.

"If I say no, will you kill him?" she said in an almost hopeful tone. The look her cousin was giving her was all she needed to tell him the truth, "Yes, Neji-san he is."

Neji nodded, "Very well, what are your instructions?" It rankled to have to take orders from one such as this, but as he'd told Hanabi his uncle trusted these men and he would trust his uncle's decision.

Takeshi shrugged, "I don't have instructions for you, but she," he nodded in Hanabi's direction, "is coming with me."

At his statement both Hyugas began to protest. He merely stood there ignoring the female's screeching and the man's more dulcet tones, allowing them to go in one ear and out the other.

"I don't give a damn what either of you think on it. Ronin says she isn't going to Konoha and I'm to take her elsewhere, so that is what's going to happen." Addressing Neji, "I would suggest you return to Suna, but stay hidden. Trust no one but your uncle." Turning back to Hanabi, "Now before we depart I have a question for you. This may be the most important question you've ever had to answer."

He waited to make sure she registered just how serious this was. Hanabi was worried, _what could he possibly be about to ask me?_

"Are you or are you not currently concealing a frying pan on your person?"

"Wha-," she could not believe what he'd just asked her. "Are you insane?" She stared at him as though he'd just sprouted a second head.

With a chuckle he responded, "Of course, I am. Do you think I could work with Ronin if I wasn't?" His facial expression shifted from one blink of an eye to the next, returning to one of serious determination. "I'm not kidding, do you have a frying pan hidden somewhere? If you don't answer me, I'll be forced to find out for myself. Then you'll probably accuse me of trying to grope you again and I just don't have time for all that. So answer the question."

"This is ridiculous, Neji-san clearly this man is a lunatic."

Takeshi shrugged, "Eh, I've been called worse."

Attempting to implore her cousin to see her side, she ignored him. "Obviously, he can't be trusted with my safety."

Neji had been slightly shocked and, dare he admit, amused by this man's interaction with his spoiled cousin. But now he became frustrated with her continual tantrum. Raising his voice, only slightly, he instilled sternness into it that he rarely used with her. "Enough Hanabi, you will cooperate with this man who is aiding in your safety."

Hanabi was once again rendered speechless; she couldn't believe these two were in agreement. These two men who couldn't be more opposite, were working together to force her into a situation she did not want to be in. She fleetingly wondered if this was how Hinata felt about her impending nuptials. She would go along with their wishes… for now.

"Fine," turning towards the lunatic, "Where are we going?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to ask stupid questions about. Now let's get going," he paused, "Seriously if you have a frying pan I suggest you hand it over or there will be consequences."

Hanabi rolled her eyes at him, stretching her arms out to her sides she asked, "Where would I possibly hide a frying pan?" She regretted it the moment his eyes began to roam over her body with a look she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

In a gruff tone he responded, "Very well," without waiting for another word he leapt into the branches of the nearest tree.

When she continued standing there he glanced back, "You coming hime, we don't have all day?"

Pursing her lips she glared at Neji and followed the stranger by leaping into the branches.

* * *

Temari had glanced over to her brother when Takeshi arrived. They hated being out of the loop when their brother and Naruto made plans. But a quick nod Kankuro's head let her know they should remain quiet in the background.

When Takeshi had stated "Ronin" wanted him to collect the young Hyuga, they were prepared to return to Suna. As the pair had sped away, she noted the way Neji's gaze followed them. _He's probably trying to use byakugan to track them_, she thought knowing the futility of his attempt. Naruto had created that seal determined to not be taken aware by any ocular jutsu.

Frustration apparent on his face Neji turned to them and the few Hyuga traveling with them.

"I'm going back to Suna and I'm not waiting on any of you. There is more going on than we've been told."

"Obviously," she deadpanned. "We're going back, we were told to escort Hanabi Hyuga." Her gaze took in their surroundings, "No Hanabi Hyuga, no need for us."

She nodded to Kankuro and they departed quickly. They couldn't demonstrate any concern over the developing situation. Besides, she felt a sense of foreboding telling her to rush back.

* * *

Neji watched them leave, relieved that they'd behaved as he'd expected by choosing to return to their village now that there was no longer a need for their presence. He waited silently using his kekkei genkai to ensure their departure, before he turned to his clansmen.

"Return to Suna, and tell Hiashi-sama what has transpired. Make sure he is the only one present when you speak with him. If the threat is a traitor, all precautions must be taken."

They all nodded before one spoke up, "What will you do Neji-san?"

He looked towards the direction Ronin's partner had taken Hanabi, "I'm going to make sure my cousins are safe."

* * *

They'd traveled northwest all day, at a pace Hanabi had a difficult time keeping up with. She'd noticed they were nearing a mountain range and as the sun began to set she prayed to Kami this psycho wasn't planning to traverse it in the dark.

There had been no conversation between them, he had his mind on the task and she'd chosen to ignore his presence as much as possible. She held onto a small hope that he was taking her to Hinata, if that was the case she wasn't going to sneak away. Besides, it was clear that if she ran he'd simply chase and a fight would ensue. Whether or not she won that fight wouldn't matter because either way her energy would be further depleted thus hindering her attempt of escape. No, for the moment she would wait.

He halted just inside of the mountain range, within a small gorge.

"We'll camp here. At first light we'll continue," he stated while surveying the area.

During their trip she'd remembered hearing his name just before he had abducted her. She deliberately chose not to use it.

"So crazy man, why are we crossing these mountains tomorrow?"

He removed his pack to search through it.

"To get to the other side, of course," he smirked predicting how irritated she would become with his evasiveness. He enjoyed prodding her temper; it was something he seemed to be very good at with very little effort.

Takeshi set up a spot for himself to sleep, then noticed she'd done the same further away. He quickly pulled out some food rations and was grateful that she had some packed for herself. If they were being followed he didn't want to risk giving an indication of their whereabouts by lighting a fire to cook.

He knew the gentlemanly thing to do was to offer to take first watch but… _I've never claimed to be a gentleman._

So he settled down to get some sleep and await the show.

She couldn't believe he'd just lain down and passed out. Taking turns on watch was a necessity as a shinobi. It allowed for everyone to get an equal amount of sleep while guarding from attack. But the fact that he hadn't said a single word to her about taking watch, nor offered to take the first watch as a gentleman should, angered her.

_I'll make him regret giving me first watch_, she thought with a devilish smile.

Takeshi had pretended to be asleep simply waiting for her to voice her displeasure. He'd expected her to throw a fit or even attempt an attack. To say he was surprised when neither of those expectations was met would be an understatement. After twenty minutes had passed he'd peaked open an eye, the sun set while they had eaten, so it was a little difficult to spy her sitting with her back to a rock. She was watching the surroundings with her kekkei genkai activated.

_I guess she won't give me any trouble on this after all. I hadn't even considered the Byakugan._ He mentally admonished himself for not taking count of every tool available to him and then using them appropriately.

Takeshi didn't want to trust the little hellcat, but he couldn't resist the need for sleep that dragged his eyelids down.

Hanabi had bided her time waiting for him to finally fall asleep. It had been hard to tell if he was truly asleep, but some innate sense had told her to wait. Silently she stood and began moving to his side of the bed.

Takeshi woke to a burst of pain in his stomach on instinct he lashed out catching a leg and jerking. When the assailant fell next to him he rolled to pin them pressing a kunai to their throat. He was shocked to wakefulness when he realized it was a female form beneath him.

_That didn't go as planned_, Hanabi thought as she struggled to free herself.

She'd stepped down hard on his lower stomach planning to stumble slightly, further bruising him. When he woke she'd feign remorse, apologizing profusely. She'd planned to claim her byakugan had been activated and, thanks to the seal placed on her, she hadn't seen him as she paced the camp.

His initial attack had sent adrenaline coursing through her body and she'd attempted to fight back. But then he'd rolled on top of her, successfully pinning both her hands in one of his. This caused panic surge, both combined causing her to thrash beneath him.

"Damn it! What the hell are you doing?" He removed the blade stowing it away.

"ME!? What the hell are YOU doing? Get off of me."

He almost laughed as he was reminded of some of her first words to him after the explosion in the Inn.

"Well, this seems familiar."

She could hear the humor in his tone and became even more incensed. She lifted her hips and shifted to her side attempting to dislodge him, however her movements had a different effect on him. One she hadn't anticipated.

He sucked in a breath sharply, feeling his body's immediate reaction. He did not want to be attracted to her; he refused to be attracted to her. But he couldn't deny the physical evidence that stated otherwise.

Takeshi immediately jerked away from her, standing with his back to her he took a minute to get his body under control.

Hanabi laid there shocked and unsure of what had just occurred between them. She'd been trying to get him off of her but when she'd made contact a sudden tightening of her stomach accompanied by his sharp gasp had caught her off guard.

_That was a bad idea_, she told herself rising slowly.

He turned back to her, after taking some calming breaths. "Why'd you kick me?"

Hanabi had nearly forgotten her payback scheme for giving her first watch. Stuttering slightly she gave him the original excuse she'd planned to give him.

"I st-started walking around, to st-stay awake, and didn't see you."

He wasn't convinced by her excuse but chose to let it drop for now. "Well, I'm awake so I'll take watch. Get some sleep."

Hanabi nodded confused by what had just transpired, but exhaustion from the day of travel with the fading adrenaline suddenly made her exhausted.

She shuffled over to her pallet throwing occasional glances his way as she tried to wrap her head around the situation.

Takeshi noticed her display of wariness as she retreated to her side of the camp. He released his pent up breath on a relieved sigh. This was going to be a long night. He found himself thankful that Naruto had taken the opportunity to acclimate him to little sleep over the years.

* * *

**Ok, so I took a page out of Roamer79's... er... fanfiction and modeled this chapter after one of his infamous fifth chapters. The ones where he focuses on supporting characters, seriously if you aren't happy with it blame him lol. He actually requested to know what was going on with Takeshi and Hanabi, this was the result. **

**I hope you all liked it anyway, I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by next weekend. Wish me luck, I have a crazy week ahead of me. **


	12. Chapter 12

**I totally meant to have this chapter done near the end of last week, but oh well. Consider this a gift from me to you for the new year. This is my longest chapter so far, though it's not as long as I'd estimated it to be. **

**I do need to give a huge shoutout of thanks to Just Retribution for offering ideas and feedback as I put this chapter together. P.S. Check out the story Our Ninja Way, it's a great NaruxHina fic. **

**As always loads of thanks go to Roamer79 for listening to me seemingly talk to myself as I work out the intricacies of this chapter. And occassionally offering an opinion that may or may not have made it into this chapter ;). **

**To every reader, reviewer, follower, and fav I give an even bigger thanks. **

**If you have any questions about the story feel free to ask, if the answer isn't too revealing, I'll happily respond. **

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 12

_Eight Years Ago_

Jiraiya had remained seated after Naruto's departure for only a handful of minutes before reaching a decision that spurred him into action. Something had to be done. He refused to simply let things end this way.

He raced through the village stopping in front of his destination, seeing the lights still on he wondered what mood he would find her in. Would she be drunk on sake? Or angry over the bane of any Hokage's existence, that dreadful task known as paperwork, and drunk on sake? Would she be in a jovial mood and well on her way to an inebriated state? Jiraiya chuckled slightly over Tsunade's affinity for sake, one would never find her too far from a bottle or too far from being drunk on it.

With a heavy sigh he leapt up to the railing surrounding her office to quickly slip through the open window. As predicted, a bottle sat on her desk next to a thick stack of paperwork.

"What do you want, Baka," she questioned without looking up from the paper in her hands. Proud that her words had barely slurred, she spared him a quick glance when he performed the seals to secure privacy within her office.

"What happened," was his only response as he seemed to collapse heavily onto the edge of the windowsill.

Tsunade set the paper down, confusion evident across her face. "Many things happen in this village at any given second. You're going to have to be a bit more specific."

"Naruto just came to see me at the inn, said he's leaving the village. I thought perhaps you'd know what could've caused it."

"He said what," Tsunade demanded as she stood abruptly, her hands slamming down hard upon her desk, causing the papers to shift. She knew Naruto hadn't been assigned any missions to leave the village; he should not have been out of the hospital let alone planning a trip.

"He said, and I quote 'A person can only take being told they are something so many times before they start to believe it,' now we both know of the contempt he's suffered his whole life. But clearly something else has occurred to spur this reaction."

"He's willing to become a missing-nin," she questioned with apparent shock, "to give up on being Hokage?"

A saddened look was the only response she received.

"I'll inquire with my ANBU, surely one of them noticed something while patrolling the village."

"Knowledge of his departure cannot get out Tsunade, we cannot let him be labeled a missing-nin. I will not fail him that way."

"What would you have me do Jiraiya? Do you think he will come back?"

"I do not know. I told him I would wait five days, perhaps a week before reporting him."

She shook her head ruefully at him, "And already you are breaking your word."

He raised one finger to halt her train of thought, "I alluded to waiting that long to report him as a missing-nin, I never said I wouldn't report that he went on vacation."

Tsunade laughed slightly when he winked after the explanation of his reasoning. "So I see," with a sigh she gestured for Jiraiya to release the privacy seals and began the process of learning the events that led up to Naruto's departure.

Multiple ANBU were questioned as to whether or not they had witnessed any incidents involving Naruto Uzumaki. It wasn't until several hours later, just as the sun began to break the horizon, that Jiraiya and Tsunade had managed to piece together a picture of the events that had transpired.

Tossing down onto her desk one report after another from her ANBU, Tsunade began to summarize what had happened.

"So, before fully recovered from his injuries inflicted at the hands of one Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto checked himself out of the hospital, the gakki. He went to speak with Sakura Haruno who had strong, and rather insulting, words for him about his failure in upholding a promise. Naruto left her and was then approached by Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. Unfortunately none of my ANBU could discern, what those ancient bastards said to him."

Tsunade dropped the final report onto her desk before collapsing as though boneless into her chair. Jiraiya still sat perched upon the windowsill where he'd remained silent over the last several hours. There was a hard glint in his eyes when he turned from watching the oncoming dawn to look at the fifth Hokage.

"Then I think it's time we question both Sakura and your 'council," he spat.

Tsunade sat up straighter, a look of determination crossing her face, "Agreed, ANBU!"

A member of her elite squad appeared, bowing respectfully as he received his orders. As he departed Jiraiya opened his mouth to question what their next course of action would be regarding Naruto when a sound from near the door had him pausing.

Both Sannin jerked around, but saw no one in the room. Tsunade stormed to the door of her office, jerking it open to discover there was no one standing in the hall. She closed the door turning around with a look of confusion upon her brow; the sound was heard again coming from the left of her.

Rapidly approaching what appeared to be the wall of her office she reared back a fist prepared to send a very clear message to their eavesdropper.

A panicked, childlike voice stopped her, "Oi, baba! Stop!"

Tsunade's infamous temper flared and she reached out grasping, not the wall of her office, but a large piece of parchment made to blend into the wall. Hiding behind said parchment was one Konohamaru Sarutobi.

"Old hag? Be thankful you are the grandson of Hiruzen," she exclaimed as she pinched the young boy's ear and dragged him into the middle of her office. "How long have been here, you little gakki?"

"Ow, ow baba let go before you rip my ear off. I kind of need that, you know."

Tsunade's eyes widened as she prepared to let loose a blow that would put the boy in his place. A gentle hand on her arm brought a screeching halt to that thought. She turned to find a serious Jiraiya standing beside her, urging her to release Konohamaru's ear.

He crouched down in front of the boy, "How long have been hiding there?"

Konohamaru pursed his lips as his small face scrunched up in defiance. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Long enough to know nii-san was forced out of the village and all you two can do is sit around talking about it."

"Why you little gakki…," Tsunade was stopped again by Jiraiya.

"I see. Why were you hiding in the Hokage's office?"

The young boy sniffed disdainfully, "I was going to take her out so nii-san could become Hokage. Boss was supposed to be next! Then it'd be my turn!"

Both adults sighed wearily at the young boy.

"Konohamaru," Jiraiya continued, "You do know that what you've heard here must remain a secret, for Naruto's sake right?"

"I know," he said quietly, "Are you really going to have him hunted as a missing-nin?"

He glanced up at both Jiraiya and Tsunade with fear in his eyes, fear for a boy he'd come to look upon as his big brother.

Tsunade spoke up, "Not if I have any say about it and it just so happens as Hokage, I do."

Konohamaru's face lit up, "You're going to send someone after him right?"

Both the adults' faces dropped unwilling to give the boy a sense of false hope.

"I think it's best if we give Naruto some space for now."

"What, you're just going to let him go!? I'll go after him myself if I have to. No one in this village cares about nii-san, but I do!"

Tsunade's voice rose sharply, "Konohamaru! How dare you insult the legendary Sannin and Hokage of this village by accusing us of not caring for Naruto?"

"Then why aren't you going to get him?"

"There is more going on here than you are aware. It may be in Naruto's best interest to remain out of the village, and hidden."

Their logic made no sense to Konohamaru's young, defiant mind. "Fine," he mumbled as he stalked to the door of the office and stepped out. _You wait, I'll go after him myself first chance I get._

They watched him leave the office before Jiraiya spoke, "We'll have to watch that one, he's too much like Naruto to let this go."

Tsunade nodded, "I know, I'll have ANBU watching him round the clock."

With a nod they both prepared to await the arrival of Sakura Haruno and the elders for the coming interrogations.

_Present_

Hinata dodged and blocked blow after blow, not always successfully. She was covered in dirt, her clothes were torn and she could feel countless bruises throb across her body. Naruto had been on the offensive for hours striking out at her in every way possible. She'd lost track of the times his blows had made contact, or of the times she'd been thrown to the ground.

He displayed no mercy, no hesitancy in his actions. Every move was efficient, lightning fast, and painful. Even the ones she managed to block were painful. Thanks to the seal he wore to block the byakugan, she couldn't pinpoint his tenketsu points with accuracy so the battle felt a bit one-sided to her. Hinata's main defense was practically useless against him.

He'd maintained that they fight without the use of ninjutsu or genjutsu, he'd even forgone the use of weapons. Hell, if their sparring was any indication he didn't need any of those to defeat her. He wasn't pulling any punches, but she knew he could've easily ended the fight hours ago.

Naruto stood still watching Hinata attempt to catch her breath. He felt admiration for her swell inside him. She'd taken every attack he'd thrown at her rarely complaining. He felt as though his heart broke little by little with each whimper of pain that escaped her. He'd hardened his resolve to see this through, but he couldn't harden himself completely to her distress.

He'd barked out instructions as they fought, as well as small insults hoping to get an emotional rise out of her. Her movements seemed so rehearsed and halting. As though for each attack he threw she was trying to remember a planned response rather than simply allowing an instinctual reaction. It was this hesitancy that caused her to suffer more damage. She had the potential to defeat him, of that he was sure. But she was over-thinking everything.

_It must be the famed Hyuga logic. 'Remain calm, steadfast and use your brain against your opponent'._ He scoffed as he remembered something he'd once heard Neji Hyuga recite while in the academy.

Naruto himself had always been more of a brawler, acting mostly on instinct and emotion. But over the years he'd learned how to strategize on the fly when in the midst of battle. He'd learned that you had to be capable of readjusting your method of attack based upon each new opponent. Mind you, his battles were rare since as an assassin, it was his job to get in and out quickly to make a silent kill. But he still seemed to be better prepared for battle than the heiress of the Hyuga clan.

He'd learned that she had ceased being a shinobi of Konoha not long after he'd left the village. His curiosity was piqued over what could have led to that. He remembered the determination in her eyes as she'd fought Neji at the chunin exams; she was one person he never believed would give up.

He delivered a staggering blow to her solar plexus that sent her stumbling backwards before she collapsed to her knees struggling to catch her breath.

"Let's take a break. I'm going to do a patrol, make sure we're still alone."

He noticed the way she nodded her head without looking up and felt even more guilt for what he was about to do.

Hinata listened as he retreated, she didn't know what had finally pushed him to call a break but she was thankful he had. The sun had long since set but still they had fought, his eyesight appearing unhindered by the dark. Her eyes would have made the cloak of night ineffectual if not for those seals of his. Instead she'd struggled to see and hear him, in an attempt to defend herself.

Finally, after gasping for what seemed like hours, she caught her breath and struggled to raise herself, intent on reaching the water in her pack. The sound of a twig snapping had her jerking around, completely on guard since Naruto didn't believe in clearly defining the start of a spar. She had no delusions that he'd clearly define the stop of a spar either. He seemed determined to ensure she was always on guard, expecting an attack every second.

She was shocked when she saw what appeared to be the silhouette of her cousin step out of the tree line. He approached calmly with his usual stout manner apparent. She rushed towards him whispering, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be escorting Hanabi back to the village."

She winced slightly at some of the aches and pains that flared up as she approached Neji. He raised an eyebrow as he seemed to stare down his nose at her.

"If not for you, I wouldn't need to escort Hanabi back to the village. She'd be the one marrying Nezu and doing her duty as heir of the clan, rather than a weakling like you," he stated unemotionally.

Hinata froze in her tracks, her eyes going wide, "Wh-what, Neji nii-san?"

His face took on a malicious demeanor as he continued to approach her slowly, "You don't deserve to be the heir of the clan. You're weak, always giving up and crying. I should end you right here and now so Hanabi-chan can prepare to lead the clan."

Hinata's eyes swam with unshed tears, "Neji-nii, yo-you don't mean that? You can't truly feel that way."

"Oh can't I? You should just give up now, fall to your knees and I'll make it quick. One strike to your heart should do it, this is your fate. Something you have never been strong enough to change."

She shook her head in denial, something wasn't right here. Over the years since the chunin exams she and Neji had developed a good relationship. They were close confidants; she didn't understand why he would say these things to her.

Wrapped up in her thoughts she nearly failed to notice when Neji struck out at her. She quickly stepped back out of range, but refused to strike out at him. She raised her hands in a placating matter, "Neji, please just explain to me what has happened to make you say these things."

"What has happened? Nothing has happened, because you do nothing! You sit idly by, the little mouse, while everyone else defends you."

"That's not true," she whispered in horror. She wrapped one arm around her waist the other she clutched near her chest trying to ward off the pain she felt in her heart upon hearing her cousin's insults.

She felt a burst of pain in her back that threw her towards Neji, who prepared to strike. Crouching slightly she ducked under his arm as she spun, putting herself behind her cousin. She thrust out the palm of her right hand to shove him forward putting some distance between them. Hinata hadn't expected to be pushing him straight towards Hanabi, who had struck Hinata in her back. _What the hell is going on_, she mentally screamed.

"It is true, nee-san. You are a flaw to the otherwise perfect Hyuga clan. One we intend to fix now."

Hinata was truly shocked when her cousin and little sister dropped into the all too familiar fighting stances. She continued to try talking them out of attacking her, tears streamed down her face. As they launched simultaneous attacks, she hesitated long enough to suffer a hit to her previously injured shoulder that sent her staggering backwards.

I can't fight them, they're my family, she thought distressed. She struggled to deflect or avoid their strikes as best she could. Admittedly she still couldn't believe this was happening, but the pain from their attempted strikes told her it truly wise.

Several times she found openings for attack, and each time she hesitated long enough to suffer another hit. She just couldn't bring herself to harm one of them.

Finally gaining some distance between them, she panted out, "Please, stop this!"

"Oh looking to give up already, Hinata-chan?"

She spun around to see Kiba step out of the trees. She couldn't hide the relief that sparked inside her chest at seeing her former teammate. Hinata didn't even question his appearance as she raced towards him.

"Kiba-kun, I don't know what's wrong with Neji and Hanabi but we have to help them."

Kiba smiled viciously, "I am here to help, them, Hyuga-hime" his hand slashed out claws flared as they tore strips from her tank top over her stomach.

Hinata skidded to a halt, shaking her head. _This has to be some nightmare. I must've passed out from exhaustion because of Naruto. _

Her head snapped up as anger flashed in her eyes. "What did you just call me, Kiba?"

His smile faltered slightly, "I called you the spoiled little weakling you are."

Hinata's spine stiffened as her resolve strengthened, she could hear Neji and Hanabi approaching but chose to ignore them. She activated her byakugan quickly detecting the presence of no one in the clearing. Releasing her kekkei genkai, she shook her head as a vicious smile spread across her face.

"You made a mistake Naruto," she lashed out with a kill strike to 'Kiba' feeling a sense of satisfaction when he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She spun on the ball of her foot, raising her opposite one to wrap her lower leg around Neji's neck dragging him to the ground with a snap. She stood as he too vanished.

Blowing an errant strand of hair out of her eyes she approached the image of her little sister.

Hanabi stood her ground, chin raised, "They were weak, just like you. But I'm not. Just give up Hinata, it's what you've already done."

Hinata was fed up with Naruto's 'training', "Shut it! What are you trying to accomplish here, Naruto?"

It was then she saw him standing behind Hanabi.

Naruto had created shadow clones that he'd then used henge on to create images of those he thought she cared most about. He'd watched as she'd cried out in denial of their accusations, as she'd been horrified by their attack on her. _I truly am a bastard_.

"You are weak, Hinata. The sooner you realize that the sooner you can overcome it," his voice rang out. "Besides, I needed to be sure you weren't going to give up as you're prone to do."

"What are you talking about?"

The shadow clone of Hanabi disappeared as Naruto approached rapidly, anger radiating off of him.

"You… gave… up. What part of that isn't clear? You nearly gave up in your battle against Neji during the exams. You clearly gave up on being a kunoichi. If you hadn't, I wouldn't need to waste time trying to get you back up to par."

He halted when he stood mere inches away from her.

At first she prepared to speak a denial, to point out that she HADN'T given up during that fight, but his next statement had rendered her speechless.

She tried desperately to find something to say, some argument that would make him stop this vicious verbal attack.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You're right, hime. I have no idea how someone with as much potential as you could so easily turn her back on her nindo," he sneered. He shook his head in disgust before brushing past her towards where his pack rested.

Hinata reacted on pure instinct. Her movements fueled by hurt, betrayal and anger. She reached out to grip the collar of his shirt and placing her foot close to his she pulled throwing her hip against him. The combination sent him off balance and gave her the necessary momentum to throw him to his back several feet away from her.

The maneuver didn't catch him off guard for long as he easily rolled to his feet.

"It's about time you lashed out without stopping to think it through," he growled out.

She froze, realizing all of this had been some ploy to elicit exactly the reaction she'd had demonstrated. The insults of her family, his cruelness, all of it was to break her of the ingrained style of her family.

He straightened continuing, "You get it now, don't you? Why do you think you had so much difficulty fighting in your family's style? Why you were always perceived as the weaker family member. It doesn't suit you, it isn't your natural style of fighting."

"That doesn't matter. You had no right doing what you did, or accusing me of turning my back on my nindo. Especially when you…," she trailed off.

He narrowed his eyes, "When I what?"

Deciding to give it to him as good as she got, she lashed out, "When you gave up on yours first! You gave up on the village and your friends. You just disappeared, no one knew where you were or if you died. How could you do that?"

Naruto's fingers curled as his nails elongated slightly, his voice took on a rough growly tone as he spoke. "First of all, that village turned its back on me the day I was born! My so-called friends were a team of assholes with their heads stuck too far up their asses to see the light of day."

Hinata froze at the vehemence, the absolute conviction he managed to pour into his words that he truly had no one in his life that would stand by his side. She'd never stood by his side but instead chose to hide in the shadows watching, too afraid of being poorly judged by someone she thought so highly of.

"Nar…"

"No! You have no idea what you're talking about. Let me tell you this, I had more attempts on my life during the thirteen years I spent in Konoha than I've had as Ronin."

Hinata stared at him distraught and in a dejected tone she spoke, "So instead of standing your ground you gave up?" She sighed heavily, looking towards the stars she continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps you're right and I don't know what I'm talking about, but neither do you. Don't presume to judge me by the basic facts you've learned. You don't know everything about me and I don't know everything about you. I think it's time we called it a night, don't you?"

Turning to walk away towards her pack in hopes of getting cleaned up and seeking some much needed sleep, she barely heard his whispered words.

"Good night, Hinata- hime."

She couldn't just walk away leaving things the way they were, turning back to him she found the courage to admit something she should've said years ago. "Naruto, I always thought we were friends," she shrugged in a self-deprecating way and with a humorless smile said, "maybe I was wrong."

Naruto watched her walk away knowing he should say something, correct her false assumption. There was too much misunderstanding between the two of them. He realized they both felt the same about the other, he'd thought they were friends while he was in the village. But he saw no reason as to why Hinata Hyuga would ever want to consider the 'Demon Brat' a friend.

_No_, he thought to himself, _its better this way. There's no risk of us getting too close, we'll get through the next few days then return to our lives._

_An hour Later_

Hinata tossed and turned on her pallet, her body beyond exhausted, but she felt so emotionally and mentally troubled that sleep eluded her. With a heavy sigh, she sat up gathering her blanket around her shoulders as she moved to the middle of the clearing. When she was younger she'd love to get to the training ground long before sunup and just watch the stars. She prayed to Kami that doing so now would bring her peace of mind.

She sat gazing at the stars, the half moon hung low in the sky and she wished she could sit there under a full moon. She knew it would be a beautiful sight to behold.

Hinata released a deep sigh when she sensed Naruto's presence behind her.

"If I asked you a straightforward question, do you think you could for once give a straightforward answer?"

Naruto had watched her move to the middle of the clearing and sit to star gaze. Reminded of the time he'd once asked that she allow him to accompany her on the outings to the training ground out of concern for her well-being, but she never asked him to.

Naruto had believed she just didn't like him, but regardless he'd woken early every morning and watched the Hyuga compound in case she decided to return to the training ground. He'd lost track of the times he'd watched over her from the tree line. He hadn't wanted to be spotted again so he'd spoken with Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin on ways to avoid ocular jutsus. They believed his motivation was in preparation for an encounter with Sasuke or Itachi. They'd never guess it was so he could spy on girl. Ero-sennin probably would've been more apt to help if he'd known the real reason.

As it was they'd merely given him information on basic seals that didn't provide what he needed. It took hours of looking over those scrolls to develop multiple seals; he would then test them on other Hyugas to see if their byakugan could detect him. He recalled the multitude of pranks he pulled on various Hyuga clan members trying to perfect the seal.

"Don't pretend not to hear me, I know you're there."

He was jerked back to the present by her voice.

"It would depend upon the question."

She nodded slightly, "Why did you leave the village?"

Naruto sighed it wasn't something he ever wanted to discuss again. But he felt in the dark of night, with this woman, perhaps he could revisit the events leading up to his departure. Taking a seat next to her, he too stared at the stars as though hoping to find answers among them.

"Do you remember when I returned from the Valley of the End?" His voice dropped slightly, "When I failed to bring Sasuke back?"

"Yes, of course."

Naruto nodded before continuing in a detached tone of voice as though recounting a list of events that had occurred not to him but to someone else. "Sakura came to the hospital probably to see Sasuke, but she entered my hospital room with Tsunade while Shikamaru was visiting. I had made a promise to her that I would bring Sasuke back, on my life. When I tried to apologize, she kept changing the subject acting like everything was fine. After a couple of minutes of that she said it was okay."

Hinata listened thinking back to how much Naruto had cared for Sakura. So much that he would make such a promise to her, one that would risk his life.

"I left the hospital before I was supposed to," the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, "I was always doing that. I found her at training ground seven, I thought everything was fine but I was wrong."

Hinata's face scrunched in confusion, she'd long since stopped watching the stars to study Naruto's face closely by the light of half-moon.

"What do you mean?"

"The scene at the hospital had been just that. A scene, an act she put on in front of Tsunade and Shikamaru. I found out how she really felt right there at our training ground. She said I was a useless Baka, and that I'd failed to uphold my promise. I couldn't even fail the promise correctly, since I didn't die."

Naruto turned cold, emotionless eyes on Hinata, "The things she said weren't too important it was how she said them. I'd never seen such hatred in her eyes. I felt as though she'd just struck a death-blow."

Hinata gasped bringing her hands to her mouth as she shook her head unable to believe that someone could say such things to Naruto, especially after he'd risked his life.

"The funny thing was even after she lashed out at me, I was still determined to keep that damn promise. I headed back to Hokage tower. I was intent on getting Tsunade to send me back out for Sasuke immediately."

She was scared to inquire what happened next, but when he fell silent she gently urged him on.

"Then what?"

"I was stopped before I could even enter the tower by her council," the word council dripped from his lips with such disdain. "They called me…names, said I was to be removed from the village dead or alive, if I remained till dawn. That it was my fault the last Uchiha was gone. They had ANBU with them, ANBU with blank white masks that stopped me when I tried to rush past them to get to Tsunade. They told me this was on her orders. I have to say with those ANBU backing them up, it was all pretty convincing."

Hinata's eyes swam in unshed tears. She knew Naruto had suffered harsh treatment during his academy years. But she had no idea people continued to be so cruel to him.

"So I left the village that night. Found a way to survive and here we are. I apologize if you have more questions Hinata, but I'm done answering them."

She couldn't miss the droop of his shoulders as he stood to move away. Nor could she find her voice to call him back. _There had to be more to it than what he's told me, there just has to be. Wait, blank white masks!?_

* * *

_Meanwhile_

He'd tracked them for hours, unable to use his kekkei genkai to find their route or even locate them up ahead. He'd had to guess the general direction and actually rely on his minimal tracking skills. Multiple times Neji believed he was heading in the wrong direction and should just turn back.

He'd wanted to kick himself over those thoughts, one of his cousins was out here somewhere and he would uphold his responsibility of ensuring her safety. So he'd trudged on, finally discovering the gorge where they'd set up camp. Of course, he'd only known they were here because he'd heard Hanabi's angry voice a couple of hours after sundown.

_I never thought I'd be so thankful for that temper of hers_, he ruefully shook his head as he chuckled under his breath.

He'd decided to keep his distance now that he knew for sure where they were. Neji trusted that Ronin's partner wouldn't put Hanabi in danger by making her trek through the mountains at night. He just hoped precautions were taken to protect her from the dropping temperatures.

He rested his back against the mountainside facing the direction he'd heard Hanabi's voice come from. He intended to keep his own watch and only rest in small increments. So to say he was surprised when an hour later he was awoken by the man he was following, was an understatement.

"I thought I told you to go back to Suna?"

Neji's eyes barely picked up the dark outline of the man sitting upon a rock not too far away. Deciding to show nonchalance at this unusual meeting he remained where he was.

"I don't recall being told to follow any orders from you. I understand it is yours and Ronin's job to protect my cousins, so it is in their best interest to do as you… suggest. I, however, am under no such obligation."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Are you threatening me?"

The man chuckled slightly, "No, but you'd be wise to listen to the suggestion of a concerned individual. Ronin and I have this under control."

"Yes, it sounded that way an hour ago when Hanabi was yelling at you."

Neji heard a throat being cleared, "Your cousin was merely voicing her opinion on who should take first watch. It's nothing to concern yourself over."

Neji's furrowed brow went unseen in the pitch black of night, "Of course not. How did you manage to render yourself invisible to the byakugan?"

He thought he saw a flash of white, _did he smile at me?_

"I'm afraid that's a trade secret. If you insist on following us, you can take watch."

With that he disappeared.

_A half hour later_

It's freezing, Hanabi thought as she continued to uncontrollably shiver. She knew the temperatures would drop in the gorge they'd set camp in. However, she hadn't expected them to drop so drastically. She felt as though every fiber of her body was turning stone cold as she huddled in on herself in an attempt to harvest and retain some semblance of body heat.

_I can't be the only one cold._ She turned her head slightly attempting to find Takeshi.

_There,_ she spotted him curled up next to a pile of boulders. _He's protected from the wind over there. Wait what is he doing asleep? He's supposed to be on watch. _

Each muscle in her body groaned in protest as she gathered the blankets that made up her pallet and slowly crept closer to where Takeshi lay resting peacefully.

Hanabi stood over him for a couple of minutes arguing internally over whether or not she should do what she was considering. A strong wind blew over the top of the boulder blowing chillingly across her shoulders and the decision was made. She hastily dropped her pallet onto the ground next to him and covered herself with the blanket.

She was careful to keep at least eighteen inches between them, she didn't need his body heat just the protection of the boulders from the freezing winds.

_Four Hours Later_

She was warm, almost too warm, and it was so nice that she decided moving was simply not an option. There was a steady lulling sound, so hypnotic she felt her subconscious dragging her back into sleep. That is until her pillow began to shake gently. Taking a deep breath she noticed the way her upper body brushed up against something warm. And the lulling sound changed to that of soft laughter.

_Laughter!?_

"Just couldn't stay away, could you beautiful?"

Hanabi squeezed her eyes closed tighter, silently praying that this was all some terrible nightmare. She heard more laughter and her head shook as she came to the horrifying conclusion that she was resting on the chest of that loathsome little worm, Takeshi.

She hastily scrambled away from him as he tracked her movements with laughter in his eyes. He laughed a little more at the mortifying embarrassment evident upon her face.

"Oh baby, are you playing hard to get?"

Hanabi's eyes shot daggers at him as she scoffed then gathered up her blankets to storm over to her pack.

Takeshi chuckled a little more. He'd woken a half hour earlier to the comforting sensation of a soft warm body, cuddling against him. Laying there he'd enjoyed the sensation and had been transfixed by the sight of her face relaxed in sleep. She wasn't hurtling snide remarks, insults, or kitchen utensils at him and he'd been entranced.

As he began to sit up he took note of the stiffness in his back from lying in one position too long and the tingling sensation in the arm she'd rested upon. He decided to put her back in her comfort zone of insulting him.

"Geez female, how much do you weigh!? I've got no feeling in this arm thanks to you laying on it all night."

He could literally see her bristling in rage, as he watched her spine stiffen while she refolded her blankets into her pack.

"Even an unmannered idiot, such as yourself, has heard you never question a lady about her weight."

He nodded thoughtfully, "That's true, but then you're not a lady. You're a spoiled little gakki."

She turned to glare at him in indignation, so he winked at her then proceeded to pack away his own set of blankets.

Takeshi glanced towards the direction they'd come from, a vindictive smirk on his face. Hanabi gave him a questioning look and when he shook his head refusing to answer her unspoken question, she rolled her eyes.

He picked up his pack and looked to the sky judging that they had at least an hour before the first light of dawn touched the gorge. _Just enough time to leave this place and Neji Hyuga far behind._

He hoped the male enjoyed the little distraction he'd leave him. He urged Hanabi to go on ahead, hinting that he had a 'call of nature' to make, to which she'd appeared disgusted and then preceded him.

He made the necessary seals with his fingers, leaving behind what he hoped would keep Neji from following too soon.

Neji woke just before dawn and moved silently to repack his things while listening for movement from Hanabi and Ronin's partner. I really should learn his name, he thought to himself.

After waiting silently for fifteen minutes listening for the others to wake, he decided to move a little closer to their camp.

He was surprised to learn just how far he'd been from their camp, Hanabi's voice had echoed quite far. Neji had camped at the mouth of the gorge, while he found the other two, still asleep, located directly in the center. The sight of them sleeping was not something he enjoyed seeing, his cousin was cuddled up to Ronin's partner in what could easily be mistaken as a lover's embrace.

_It's none of my business_, he continually reminded himself from his perch on a boulder fifteen feet away. He couldn't help but feel a brotherly sense of protectiveness and disapproval over what he was witnessing.

He kept looking towards the lightening sky and wondering why they remained asleep surely Ronin's partner wasn't going to be lazy about getting to his destination. It was then he heard movement from the sleeping pair and he glanced over only to become enraged.

The man was freely groping his cousin and he swore he heard Hanabi moan, "Takeshi."

_That's it_, he couldn't sit by and watch, or hear this go any further. He quickly approached gripping 'Takeshi' by the collar of his shirt only to catch a smirk upon the man's face as both he and Hanabi disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Neji froze and quickly surveyed the area with new eyes, noticing the tracks that clearly told him his cousin and …Takeshi had been long gone for over an hour.

If anyone had been within hearing range they would have heard what sounded like a growl coming from the male Hyuga as he rushed off towards the mountain range. Angry that a prodigy such as he could have been so easily fooled.

He idly wondered if his clansmen had made it back to Suna safely.

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga sat in his suite contemplating the events of the last twenty four hours. The constant bombardment of questions and accusations from Hinata's betrothed, the meetings with the Hyuga elders and the Kazekage. It seemed like a never ending circus of platitudes, excuses, and arguments. The only one he didn't mind speaking to was the Kazekage as he appeared to be the only sane one in the whole bunch.

He ruefully shook his head as he thought over what he'd learned from the clansmen who'd been assigned to escort Hanabi to Konoha. The report that Ronin's partner had departed with her, Neji was tracking them and that no one could be trusted, to say the least, was not the best news to learn.

Hiashi wasn't sure how much longer he could hold off Nezu, the little rat was persistent in knowing where Hinata was. He had accused Hiashi of creating some elaborate ruse to avoid a personal exam on Hinata, it was galling. However, there was nothing he wouldn't endure to secure his daughter's safety.

He was far from unintelligent and had suspicions about Nezu's true motives. However, without any tangible evidence he could not act upon his suspicions. Hiashi planned to speak with Kazekage Gaara about Ronin, after all he was the one to suggest Ronin be sent after Hinata in the first place. Surely he'd have some information that might help ease his fatherly concerns for the safety of both his daughters.

In the meantime he would begin a quiet investigation to see who amongst him was truly trustworthy, and who would sell out his daughters.

* * *

"I'm telling you Gaara, something doesn't feel right about all of this. This situation is getting too complicated. We should keep our distance from the Hyugas and Ronin. This won't end well for anyone. And now the Akatsuki are within the village walls. We should secure you while we search the village."

"Don't be hasty Temari, according to 'Ronin' the Akatsuki are here for him and Naruto. We will prepare for any eventuality, but we will not tuck tail and hide when my friend may need me most."

"But otoutosan…," her words died in her throat at the stern look her younger brother gave her. Temari pursed her lips, raised her chin and stalked from the room.

Kankuro stood to the right of Gaara's desk, the right hand of the Kazekage, "She's only concerned for your safety. She wishes you would put your own wellbeing above Naruto's for once."

"Kankuro, if not for him I wouldn't be here, and you know it. He is my first and only true friend; I will not abandon him when things seem so uncertain. He would do the same for me."

A quiet nod was the only response necessary from Kankuro. He knew of, and respected, his brother's affection for the man known as 'Ronin'. There would be no changing Gaara's mind.


	13. Chapter 13

So, incredibly sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story. Life has been full of difficulties and distractions. This chapter is vastly shorter than my usual ones, but considering I had serious writer's block for so long I feel accomplished just being able to produce this. I'm also using this short one to get the story flowing again for myself, so far it's working :). Constructive criticism is always appreciated so long as it's truly constructive and not rude (people please remember that the tone of your reviews is not easy to discern when read online). With that said if any grammar, plot issues or such are found please bring them to my attention so they can be corrected. I'm flying without my beta Roamer79 today, he's at work and I was desperate to get this written and posted. So I apologize if there are any mistakes. I hope you all enjoy this chapter despite it's short length. Also thank you to everyone who reads this fic, thank you to all of my reviewers, thank you to those who chose to follow this story or myself. You are all amazing and I appreciate every one of you.

Chapter 13

He lay awake listening to sound of her breath evening out to the rhythm of a deep sleep. Exhaustion had long become a familiar state for his body, and yet his mind refused to give into the demands of his body for rest. Images of his 'training' session with Hinata and the moonlit conversation kept playing over and over making it impossible to sleep.

Throughout the training he'd felt proud of the way she'd handled things. There were little to no complaints, she'd seemed to absorb all of his instructions. Though it was clear that she became more and more angry with him as the evening had wore on.

Naruto admitted to feeling regret over the rather low blow he'd dealt her with the shadow clones of her family and Kiba. He also had to admit, if only to himself, that when she'd finally stood up for herself he had liked her anger. The flash of fire in her eyes, the efficient way she'd finally handled the 'threat'. It had fanned the flames inside him, the stupid burning desire to have her, to hear his name escape her mouth on breathy moans. The flames of that desire had been on a low simmer since he'd rescued her the first time.

Thankfully he'd grown out of the impulsive behavior of his youth; trial and error had forced it out of him. One couldn't be a halfway decent assassin without the ability to remain calm and be patient. Otherwise he would have given in to those desires long ago rather than constantly pricking at her pride in an effort to make her hate him. For if she'd shown the slightest hint of care or a flame of attraction for him, he would have certainly given in that old impulsiveness that clawed at him.

But then she'd asked him about that night eight years ago. He'd expected to see scorn or condemnation, something he was all too familiar with, and instead there was only a sincere concern for him. At that moment something inside him had clamored all the more for her, but he held himself back still. Now was not the time to be feeling like that, especially about Hinata Hyuga.

Now he rolled onto his side facing her and spent another hour simply watching her, sleeping, breathing, occasionally stirring in her sleep. There was something enthralling about her, how she captivated him, even in her sleep. Her long hair, dark as night, was coiled above her head exposing the sensitive flesh of her delicate neck. He wanted nothing more than to lay beside her and place kisses upon that skin.

The mental image of doing just that tormented him further until with a groan of frustration he turned his back to her. He forced his mind to blank, a difficult task, slipping into a meditative state that would allow him a small amount of necessary rest.

Hinata sighed in frustration, ever since waking up Naruto had set a grueling pace for her training regimen. She had to admit that everything he taught her felt more natural to her than what she'd previously been trained in. Naruto wasn't completely disregarding for family's signature style but had instead found ways to incorporate it without making her completely reliant upon it. He had stated, "The Hyuga style has its usefulness, but I want you capable of recognizing and adapting to when it isn't."

She hadn't been able to argue with his logic, so she'd been enduring everything he threw at her for hours. Sidestepping a backhanded blow she felt a twinge of pain in her hip, a bruise from earlier that morning when she'd been distracted by thoughts of the previous night.

Her mind kept swirling over the various explanations for what had happened to him. She knew that Tsunade's ANBU never wore blank white masks. It had been revealed several years ago that Danzo had trained his own force of ANBU with the intention of taking over Konoha. Homura and Koharu had denied any connection to Danzo's plot. But if the ANBU who'd forced Naruto out of the village had been members of Root they had clearly been lying. This was information that needed to be passed along to the Hokage.

This trail of thinking led Hinata to another: Lady Tsunade had never officially declared Naruto a missing-nin. In fact she'd acted as though his disappearance was nothing to remark upon. Everyone had simply begun referring to him as a missing-nin since he was obviously missing and there had never been a declaration of death or mention of a solo mission. She wondered if he was truly wanted as a missing-nin. The Hokage had always held affection for Naruto, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility that she would refuse to mark him as such. _Would it be possible for him to return to the village? _She scoffed at herself_: not if he doesn't want to, and who could blame him if he didn't._

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when pain erupted from the side of her head, just above her left ear. She cried out in pain, stumbling slightly she looked up to see an unapologetic look in his eyes.

"Pay attention!"

"I was," she said between teeth clenched in pain and anger.

"Don't bullshit me, Hinata, I can tell when you aren't paying attention."

She stood up straighter, "Oh? And how is that? Because you know me so well?" Sarcasm was laced throughout her tone.

"Because I'm observant, something you've failed to be twice today."

She walked away from him never turning her back to him, she knew he'd only further impress his point of paying attention if she did. "Maybe it's because I've hardly had any sleep, I'm hungry and dehydrated."

"Those are excuses. Do you think an opponent will care about your lack of sleep or nutrition?"

She stopped moving away to face him fully, "Honestly, no I don't. However, I do and sense you aren't truly trying to kill me I think I'll take a break." Hinata stood there waiting for his rebuttal, he always had an argument to anything she said, and instead he suddenly seemed to be the distracted one. With a shrug she continued towards her pack where water and food waited only to be stopped short by a rough hand upon her forearm.

She reacted as he'd been training her to, instinctually striking out but he caught her opposite arm as well. Naruto forced her back to a tree and she felt confusion, anger, and apprehension swirl within her. She looked into his eyes finding an unidentifiable emotion swirling within them.

He continued to look into her eyes as his head slowly lowered towards hers and he released one of her arms to grasp her jaw in his hand. He stepped closer to her as his gaze seemed to jump from her eyes to her lips and back again. Releasing her other arm he reached up to pull his mask down allowing her gaze to trail down to his lips.

_Oh my Kami, is he going to kiss me?_

* * *

Zetsu had only been spying upon Ronin and the Hyuga heiress for a short while. Long enough to recognize that the two were sparing and the female was distracted. He had to admit he found himself quite surprised at the sight before him.

The two had argued and seemingly out of nowhere they were now in an intimate embrace. Zetsu noticed when Ronin slipped his mask down his face, despite his back being turned to him and he desperately wished to get closer to appease his curiosity over the man's identity. But risking discovery was not an option, he'd been told to observe not approach.


End file.
